Serotonin
by ALaCarte
Summary: An alternate story about how Mello takes over the mafia. MelloXOC
1. Chapter 1

Serotonin: Chapter One

Audrey sighed as she rubbed her eyes and rolled over in bed. She didn't have to bend down far, since her mattress was on the floor, to nab a cigarette from a crumpled package and the lighter from under her pillow. She sat up, her only clothing a series of intricate tattoos, and opened the sliding glass doors slightly before lighting the cigarette. The action didn't cause her to move from the comfort of her sheets, since the balcony sliding door was right next to her in the closet-like apartment. She checked the small hello kitty clock on top of the static TV she had left on last night, 9:00 PM already. Nearly time for work again. Her various hello kitty memorabilia looked out of place with the rest of the cramped surroundings; most of which were liquor bottles and various CD's. Just as she poured herself the last of a carton of orange juice and topped it off with some vodka, which accompanied other bottles and stacks of glasses in a pile by the head of her bed, an obnoxious noise repeated throughout the room.

**Pi Pi Pi!**

Her phone nearly seemed to be shouting the generic ringtone and made her head throb worse, none-the-less she tried not to growl when she answered the phone. She'd reserved that specifically normal tone for only one single group of people to use, so it was definitely business. "Speak" She ordered, rubbing her temples as her head throbbed. "AUDDIE!" the voice cried out, large sounds of laughter resounding behind it, and she nearly punched through the phone to kill that dumbass. "Yes it is" she said through clenched teeth, trying her best not to let lose the string of profanities she was thinking at her employer. "I have some good news, Adds! I've sold the company!" her eyes flicked open and she yelled a disbelieving "WHAT?!" loud enough to send a stab of pain through her head again.

"Well not really sold, err, lost!" the man slurred, laughing almost hysterically. Audrey groaned and cradled her head in her hands; once again her boss had gone and done something incredibly stupid when he was drunk. And this time he had lost the 'company', as usual she suspected it would be up to her to fix it. "I was playing poker, you see!" he laughed again and she wanted to wrap her hands around his throat and shake him violently. "Sir… where are you?" She asked through clenched teeth. She heard a loud jukebox come to life in the background and she winced in pain once again. "Uhh… HEY BENNY CAN I GET S'MORE BOOZE?!" She sighed at his response and thought quickly in her head, the only bar they frequented with a 'Benny' as the tender, was the Barking Spider. "Be there in 5, boss" she said before she clicked the small white phone shut.

There was no time for a shower so she merely smeared on some deodorant and a small bit of perfume. She took some black frilly hello kitty underwear and slipped them on before taking one last drag from her cigarette and stabbing it out in the ashtray by her pillow. She eyed herself in a section of full-length mirror balanced against the wall in the bathroom and quickly washed off her face in the sink, not bothering to smooth or brush out her tangled red hair for her haphazard bun, and instead quickly applying some black eyeliner around her insomnia-rimmed eyes. Next she tugged on some dark blue skinny jeans (shoving her phone in a tight pocket), a sexy black v-neck shirt, and a black leather jacket with the words 'Death Doctor' emblazoned on the back. Lastly, she armed herself with her black zip-up steel-toed combat boots and her '70 berretta model pistol. As an afterthought she slipped a switchblade into her bra as well as a hunting knife in a secret hollowed-out sheath in the heel of her boot. She rummaged around before finding her keys and a fresh package of cigarettes from a drawer, and on her way out she took a last swig from a vodka bottle to down a few migraine pills and kill last night's hangover.

Her boss, Mr. Antonio Cidgers—or better known as Mr. Cigar, was always doing stupid things that called for her to clean up. Although this was the first time he had done something as moronic as losing the gang in a poker game. Audrey groaned in her head trying to think of ways to sort the mess out as she exited her apartment, not bothering to lock it. No one in their right mind would mess with her room, seeing as at least 12 of her fellow mafia members resided in the shabby apartment complex—and also the fact that her door was marked with a large black X, to turn anyone away who knew what the LA mafia was. Since there was hardly time to shower or let alone wake anyone else up, she banged hard on any member's door she saw on the way to the window fire escape.

"GET YOUR ASSES UP AND TO THE BARKING SPIDER IN LESS THAN 20 OR I'LL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH! CIGAR'S ORDERS!!" she shouted, firing a shot through the roof of the hall to make her point as she stepped out the window into the cool air. She quickly scaled down the escape before hopping onto her black Ducati motorcycle and firing it up, she had forgotten her helmet but she really cared less. The Spider was less than 2 blocks away and she got there in no time by weaving in and out of traffic. She scowled as she parked her bike quickly on the curb, it too was marked with an X (silver, so it stood out from the black) so she didn't worry about locking it up and instead hurried inside.

She practically kicked the door open, the hard scowl still on her face as she stomped up to Mr. Cigar sitting at a table in the back of the room. Many of the tables went silent as she stormed by and a few people hurriedly left because they either knew who she was, or knew what was going to happen by the scowl on her face. Seated at the table was a very drunk-looking Mr. Cigar, as well as two of her associates and many scantily clad girls, three conniving men she knew well, and in addition two unfamiliar boys that looked nearly as young as her. Upon reaching the table, she slammed down her fist to interrupt the conversation and to make sure all attention was drawn to her.

"You two get a glass of water" she ordered her two associates, who either looked drunk or high out of their minds. "Ehh? Adds, c'mere!" Mr. Cigar said as he laughed deeply and drunkenly patted his knees, eyes firmly planted on her boobs. "Sir, with all due respect, please shut the fuck up" Audrey snarled angrily, and Mr. Cigar frowned. "Heyyy now, don't speak to your boss like that!" she glared at the man. "Currently, Sir, you aren't my Boss" she stated before directing her gaze to the women "beat it, girls" she stated and Mr. Cigar groaned "you're killing the party, Adds" She ignored him and focused on the three snakes at the table, processing in her head which one would swindle Mr. Cigar out of the gang. Merino looked just as drunk, Sammy was far too dim-witted—but Phil was just the candidate. As soon as she reached her conclusion, she leaned across the table and jabbed a finger into the fat man's face.

"What the hell kind of gall do you have Philly?! Even if my boss would foul up a two-car funeral when he's drunk, I'm not about to let him hand over the gang to the likes of you!" she nearly spat at the man with her disgusted tone. "But Auddie—" She turned her head without moving from her threatening posture to cut off an associate. "Don't you dare interrupt me, Tito! You two should have stopped him in the first place! AND WHERE IS THAT DAMNED WATER?!" Audrey shot out and Tito quickly shut up as the other man jumped up to get some water. She turned her glare back to Phil as she gripped his shirt collar roughly "Now just what the hell do you have to say?! And it better be damned good for waking me up" She stated darkly and waited for the shaking man to speak. "Hey, fire crotch" her head snapped around at the obscene remark as her eyes flashed dangerously.

It was one of the strange boys, wearing a lot of leather as well as shaggy blonde hair and a sneer. "What the fuck did you just say to me?!" she questioned vehemently, pulling her gun swiftly from her tight leather jacket. He laughed as he mockingly put his hands up "Don't get too hasty and shoot your new boss, babe" he sneered and she was shocked. How had a man—no, how had a _boy_ reached that type of position she'd been struggling to get to nearly all her life?! He sure as hell must be one smooth talker and a damn good card player. "Boy, you're trying to throw a wide loop with a short rope" she stated, recovering quickly as she gave him another dark glare, keeping her gun on him. "In English, babe" it was then she noticed his slight accent, he was probably British-English himself. She sighed with a fresh bought of anger as she opened her mouth to speak again "You're trying to be something you aren't. No way in hell a kid like you can run this fucking mafia, and I damned well won't let you run it down the drain" she explained and the blonde laughed deeply again.

"Matt" he prompted and the redhead next to him pulled out a pistol faster than she could see it—all without taking his eyes off his handheld DS or the cig in his mouth. "Sit down, or else he'll blow your brains out right here. And, don't call me kid" the bar was a nervous silence as she glared between the two before begrudgingly pulling a chair from behind her and sitting down. "We're trying to make a smooth transition here, so we told your Ex-boss here to call his top man. Since I'm guessing that's you, you're gunna talk to the rest of the gang and smooth over our little shift of power here, you got it? And if you do anything to out us or disrespect me, I won't hesitate to kill you myself" the blonde concluded forcefully. There were only two decisions for her anymore; it was either get killed by the new boss, or… "And just what is in it for me?" Audrey asked with a bit of leftover anger edging her voice.

Deep down, Audrey was just like any other criminal out there; name your price. And while she did have a deep sense of loyalty, when in a situation like this it was best to get anything you could. Mr. Cigar always complimented her on that, and it was one of the main reasons she had made it as far up in the mafia as she did at such an early age; she knew when to cut her losses. "Double your usual salary, and you get to keep your job as my go-to. Take it or leave it" she mulled over his words for a second before she put away her gun (Matt did also) and grabbed the water glass that her associate had come back with. She splashed it harshly into Mr. Cigar's face as she stood up "Sir, you've been replaced. You know the rules, try to contact any one of the gang and you'll be eliminated" she stated matter-of-factly as the nodded for her two associates to lift up the soaking and dumbfounded Mr. Cigar.

She took a cigarette from her pocket and lit it as she let her Ex-boss take in her words. "But—but Auddie we're pals, I was the one that promoted you! C'mon I called you so you'd fix all this—you always fix things, Adds!" he pleaded, sobering up enough that he was no longer slurring. She took a drag before she answered, blowing the smoke in his face "I got promoted because I am damn good at my job, and all I've been doing lately is fixing up your fucking drunk messes. I have no respect for a man with the drinking capacity of a five year old, and since you aren't my boss I can finally say that. Now, are you going to go quietly, or are we gunna have take you into the alley?" she threatened, punching her fist into her palm with an ominous slap. "Please Auddie! C'mon!" he begged, his fists clinging together desperately. "Search him, give me his phone" Audrey demanded and was immediately tossed the man's sleek black cell phone, which she passed to the blonde boy. "All of the gang's info and contacts are in there, you'll need it since they will call the boss when they arrive and don't see him. Come and get me when they get here and I'll explain to them. Without telling them what happened to Cigar"

She turned back to her Ex-boss, still being held up by the two "Come on, let's use the back door" she stated and the man began to squirm and sweat as the two began dragging him "No! I'm sorry! No! Auddie! Audrey! C'mon!" Audrey signaled for them to stop; now they were standing a slight distance away from the table. Audrey silently pulled out her gun as Cigar gasped "Shut up, coward" she said as she pistol-whipped him harshly. "I'll still give you your whore and drinking budget as long as you do it at home—and don't you dare tell anyone you're so much as alive because as soon as I hear about it you'll get a bullet between the eyes" she spat at him and he nodded graciously as the men dropped him to the ground. He bent down to kiss her boots before she scoffed and kicked him in the back, sending him sprawling further towards the back door. "Get the fuck out of here and don't let anyone see your face!" she yelled and he scurried away through the door.

Next she turned and glared at the bar "tell anyone what you've seen here and I'll make you trouble bigger'n Dallas!" she threatened before turning to the bartender. "Get me something to fucking drink" she ordered before finally dropping down into her seat, still beside her new boss. She took a last drag of her cigarette before dropping it to the floor and stomping on it. "I'm glad you see this my way" the blonde sneered and she turned to address him as the two other gang members found their seats. "Let's get this straight here and now though, here are my rules" she held up a finger despite the blonde's scowl.

"1. I do not work on Sundays unless it is an _emergency_, although my phone will be on and I will be ready anytime I am needed and you may dismiss me anytime you wish. 2. Anyone who gives me sexual-related comments will be fucking dead, _even you_. 3. I am loyal and trustworthy and I've been in this gang for 10 years, in nearly every rank. Although if you're a dick to me like Cigar, I will look for ways to replace you. _And I can replace you_. 4. You _must_ respect our allies, otherwise all hell can break lose; I will educate you on them later if you want. 5. Only half of any members of the gang's real names are to be spoken aloud, and_ never_ around any unfamiliar areas—normally we use nicknames for that, and again I can educate you on those" she paused to take the drink placed in front of her before she finished. "And that's it. Any problems?" she asked, and fixed him with a glare. "I need no informing, I've done my research—why do you think I chose such a weak man to overthrow?" the blonde stated and Audrey nodded, somewhat with approval.

"So, what's your name Boss?" Audrey asked and the boy sneered. "You can call me Mello" he stated, just as the door of the bar flung open. "Mr. Cigar, 3rd sector here!" a burly man Audrey knew as Clem shouted from in front of a crowd of men. "Clem, all of you, over here!" Audrey shouted and, once again, the bar went silent as all ears tuned to the girl. "I believe we are under new management, boys!" she stated loudly, a grin spreading across her features. "Mr. Mello is here to take over while Cigar enjoys his retirement!" she shouted and pointed to the blonde, who had turned to look at the crowd. There was a long silence. "DRINKS ON THE HOUSE FOR THE NEW BOSS!" someone in the group shouted and the bar sprung up with shouts in agreement. Audrey grinned back at Mello's table and pumped her fist in the air. "LETS PARTY!!!" she yelled through the noise, and with that the jukebox blared on as the first shots were slid down the counter.


	2. Chapter 2

Serotonin: Chapter Two

It was yet another time that Audrey was awakened with a hangover, and she rolled over with a groan as she rubbed her eyes wearily. She paused, lying on her side, what woke her up exactly?

**Pi Pi Pi!**

The tone seemed almost angry, and with a jolt Audrey wondered how long it had been ringing. She quickly snatched up the phone and flipped it open, thankful it was only a text message and she had'nt missed a work call.

**From: Boss**

**Meet me in the HQ**

**No later than 10**

**Come alone**

She looked at the hello kitty clock perched on her TV, but oddly found it obscured by a pair of boxers. She froze before turning slowly to her other side. A young pretty boy with sleek black hair and a tuff scar on his lip was sleeping peacefully, Audrey recognized him as Dominick—a fairly new sector 3 recruit. She groaned again before running a hand through her hair and checking the time with her phone. It was already 9, and she wanted time to take a shower for work tonight. "get the fuck up" she mumbled at the boy, who groaned at how loud her voice sounded—no doubt he was hung over as well. She sighed again before getting up naked, and retrieving a migraine pill from her stash along with a glass of water. She returned to the boy and force-fed him the pill, which he coughed at and sat up in bed. He opened his eyes and looked around wildly for a second before the crystal blue's landed on her.

"Morning, sexy" he said smoothly. Even when she was drunk, she still had a pretty good judgment in men. "Morning, get the fuck out" she stated monotonically and his morning dopey look fell. "Harsh" he grumbled, stretching but not making a move to leave. She frowned before slipping a gun out from under her mattress and swiftly aiming it at him. "Get the fuck out, I have to get ready for work dipshit" she said coldly and he couldn't get his clothes on fast enough as he nearly ran out of her room. She growled as she remembered the orange juice carton was empty, and instead took a few swigs of straight vodka before getting up and grabbing a migraine pill, washing it down with another swig. The pill and the hot shower she took helped her mood immensely and she actually combed her hair today, letting it fall around her shoulders in wavy curls.

Since she didn't know what to suspect of today's proceedings she slipped on some simple black skinny jeans, this time with worn knee holes, over her usual hello kitty underwear (today's was bright red). In addition, she pulled on a plain black tank top. Next were her boots and then her ever-present leather jacket. Since headquarters was a bit further than the bar, she rummaged around until she found her nice black helmet, a silver X on one side and the medical red + symbol on the back to go with the red words on the back of her leather jacket.

Another sweep of the apartment for her phone, keys, cigs, and lighter before she was out the door—she didn't bother for food, but grabbed some money and put it in her bra just in case. This time she took the stairs like a normal person would, but still reached her bike outside fairly quickly. The commute was about 20 minutes, and since it was exactly 9:40, she stuffed her helmet over her hair and hopped into her bike. She roared out onto the street, not bothering to weave through cars since she was not in a terrible hurry this time, and instead enjoyed the ride. Airily, she wondered what the new boss would be like; _maybe this boss will be more ambitious than Cigar was_… She thought fleetingly, _one can only hope_.

The big grey warehouse was spacious and comfortable, but looked dirty and abandoned from the outside—something that had worked to their advantage many times. Audrey made her way behind the structure and to the large metal roll-up doors where the garage was. A button clip, similar to a garage door opener, on her bike easily fired a door up and she roared through the door before settling to a stop in a space designated for her bike. She pushed the button again and the door rolled shut behind her as she got off her bike, pulling her helmet off and brushing through her slightly messy hair with her fingers. She left the helmet on her seat before walking down the long row of guest spaces, stopping before the boss's own inherited collection of cars and bikes, to turn and go through the door that led to the inside of the building.

"Boss? Anyone home?" Audrey called down the hall as she walked, not used to the compound being so silent. _Mello must have sent most of the usual posse home, or out on jobs…_ she thought. Normally, the whole 1st sector made the HQ their permanent residence, and truthfully Audrey was supposed to be living there too but she liked her privacy and own space so Cigar had let her live where she wanted. Besides, her rent was taken care of either way so there really wasn't that much of a difference, only in time it took to respond to the boss. Perhaps Mello could change that, but it was unlikely he cared much.

"Hello?" she called gain before letting out an exasperated sigh "this place is so empty its scarce as hen's teeth and frog's fangs…" she mumbled to herself before she jumped at a voice "half of the time I can't understand what the hell you say" the man said, amused. Audrey turned quickly to see Matt leaning against a hallway, his eyes not on her but on what seemed to be glued to his hands; a DS. "It's an expression back in Texas" she explained and Matt looked thoughtful, though his eyes remained on the screen as he spoke "I thought you had a slight accent…" he commented and Audrey shifted in the awkward silence that followed. "So where's the boss? Word is that he wants to see me" Matt didn't say anything, only turned and started walking in a way that made her assume she was to follow.

"Now, just remember what I said and we won't have trouble—understand?" Mello's voice rang out, followed by various 'yes sir's from a group of men; none of whose voice's Aubrey recognized. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously as Matt led her through the open door and into the room, where there was an assortment of strange men just as she had suspected. "…Hello boss" Aubrey said hesitantly, eying the men. "Finally. I wanted you to be the first to meet our new additions to the gang" he said and Audrey frowned before glaring at Mello. "Sir! This is ridiculous! My men can't transition to a new boss and new comrades, I doubt anyone will trust them as far as they can throw them" she almost yelled in her outrage, but settled for clenching her teeth instead. Mello simply laughed at her, taking a loud bite from a chocolate bar.

"That's where you come in, of course. Make up some story like you did last night" at that Audrey fumed, she had shown tact and amazing flexibility last night—that is, it seemed she had. She'd actually been working up the entire cover story since she'd first found out Cigar was a drunk fool. _Maybe I made the wrong choice to let Mello become boss,_ she thought, _it's hardly been 19 hours and he's making big calls… I should've just taken control myself… _"What if I refuse?" Audrey asked, glaring and trying not to punch the smug blonde. Mello gave her an icy stare "Then I'll scrap you in favor of someone else, I have no need for a stubborn woman that fights me at every turn" he stated and Audrey sighed angrily before turning to the men. "What are your names? I have no interest in last names, only your firsts" she asked, and patiently waited as they rattled off their names, memorizing them as best she could.

"Is the meeting room in shape?" Audrey questioned Mello, who just stared at her. She sighed, annoyed before walking to one wall of the office and staring at it. Mello was about to ask what she was doing before she kicked open what seemed to be a secret door that led into the back of a long room with a large table inside. She walked quickly around the room, checking all the plush chairs and every inch of floor for garbage before she came back out again. "All right, this is what we're gunna do. Y'all are gunna be Boss's family; brothers or cousins or uncles or even good friends of aunts. Most of the gang smiles upon family business but you have to remember to be careful. A bird in the hand causes a big mess, and most of the boys are as friendly as fire ants. So don't let your mouth overload your tail—"she paused at the looks of confusion on more than a few faces. "I mean… things aren't always what they seem to be, and most of the boys are hostile. So don't talk too much." The men began to nod and let out sounds of understanding as she mentally face-palmed.

"Dang, if you put all their brains in a bumblebee it would fly backwards" she said quietly to Mello, who in turn gave her an odd look that made her sigh exasperatedly. "Forget it, I'm going to call the meeting now" she said, flipping open her cell phone as she retrieved it from her pocket. "Hello? Clem? Good. This is Adds, call the rest of the sector leaders—yes, only the leaders. We're having a meeting at the HQ. When? Uh, about last week if you get my drift. Yeah, light a fire under them. Okay, see ya" she finished and shut her phone with a click. "They should be here in ten minutes, tops" she informed Mello and he nodded, sitting carelessly on his desk to wait.

True to her word, everyone was there within 10 minutes and Audrey greeted each with a warm smile and hug, which weirded most of the newbies out with her unusually pleasant demeanor. "Thank you all for coming, and now you may show your respects to Boss!" Audrey said right as Mello unwrapped a new chocolate bar. He was nearly ambushed by 4 men and had to drop the chocolate on the desk for its safety; the only female sector head waited for the crowd to thin before shaking his hand eagerly. Throughout the pleasantries, both Audrey and Mello had noticed the odd looks tossed at the newcomers and the fact that the sector heads had largely avoided them. "Everyone, into the meeting room, I have important news to share with you" Mello demanded, and everyone immediately flocked into the room and got seated quietly.

"Now then, I assembled you all here to in—"Audrey interrupted Mello with a light cough and he turned to glare at her. "With all due respect, Sir, that is not how we start our meetings. Usually it begins with each sector's status reports, something I'm sure you'll be both interested and impressed with" she said, before sliding back into her standing position beside the doorframe. Both Matt and Audrey flanked Mello's chair, although Audrey was actually standing at attention rather than Matt who was slouching in a chair (and still playing his DS). There was a pause "Let's start with sector 2 then" Mello stated moodily before taking a loud bite from his chocolate. _Thank heavens he remembered sector 1 are mostly his personal in-HQ bodyguards,_ Audrey thought absently.

Big Dave slowly stood, nodded respectfully to Mello, and began "Big Dave of sector 2, the extortion ring. This month we've collected a good 70,000 dollars from our lovely patrons" he let out a deep chuckle and sat down, making the next burly man stand. "Clem the clam from sector 3, the gambling division. This month we've suckered punks out of 50,000 dollars, although we've also had to rake in the debt of 2 by offing them" he grinned before sitting again. Audrey and the others glared at a lanky man that hopped up as if spring loaded "We've gotten about 100,000 from the tweakers boss, oh—Skinny Pete from sector 4" he said, eyes shifting quickly from point to point around the room. Everyone hated Pete because it was all too obvious he dipped frequently into the drug supply, as well as cheated money. The sultry woman at the end of the table stood with a wide, Cheshire-like smile "Sexy Sadie, division 5: prostitution" a few of the boys wolf whistled and she smirked before continuing "I've managed to recruit 4 new girls, and we made a total of 130,000 this month" she stated with another proud smile before taking her seat again.

Mello was smirking "Fantastic. Can we get a couple of beers in here Matt?" the gamer slid silently from the room and the atmosphere suddenly turned serious. "So tell us Boss, who are those guys?" Clem asked, pointing to the newcomers sitting at the end of the long table. Mello took another loud cracking bite from the chocolate bar "right. It gives me much pleasure to welcome my family into my new family. You see, I want to keep this a close business" his comment got a few nods of approval. "Introduce yourself, boys" Mello prompted, and slowly all 16 of their names were prattled off along with some garbage about being his uncle or best friend's brother or some such bullshit. Just as they were done, Matt re-appeared with a cooler full of beer in time to make a toast to the new additions.

Once again Audrey had pulled off a smooth transition, and she grinned to herself as she took a swig of the cold beer. The small party died down in an hour or so and the sector leaders were making their way home, but Audrey stayed to pick up the scattered bottles. "I forgot to tell you, Sir, the HQ sector 1 staff are maids and cooks as well as guards. So, you never really need to clean up anything yourself. You can also write things on the notepad on the fridge and they will usually pick them up for you, even if it is something exotic" she said as she came out of the meeting room and carefully shut the door behind her. "Convenient. I have instructed the new men to stay here as well, in any room that is available. Although three haven't found open ones" she nodded at his statement as she thought.

Happily, she snapped her fingers. "The Derris Apartments, where sector 3 and I stay, has some available rooms. They are small, but cozy, and certainly good enough for your men. There is no need for rent money or keys as long as they mark the door with a large black X" Mello eyed her curiously at her statement as he bit into the last of his bar, tossing the wrapper on his desk. "Why do you live so far, if you are technically part of sector 1?" he questioned and she wavered. "Uh, well Cigar had no problem with it… but if you do Sir, I will not hesitate to move to HQ" she stated, frowning at the thought. "I didn't ask what Cigar did, I asked why you chose to live with sector 3" Mello stated, annoyed.

"I like my privacy and space, sir" she said and Mello grunted in annoyance. "That's total bullshit. You're fucking around with someone there" she found her face heating up from embarrassment and somewhat shame as she recalled waking up this morning. "That is none of your business Sir!" she yelled, outraged. "It's my business when you're a vital part of my gang, and you're out fucking all the members" Mello stated, coldly glaring at her. "I'm not fucking anyone! Even if I was, you have no direct order over who I share my bed with as long as it is not on your time!" she shouted vehemently, the embarrassment almost entirely replaced with anger. He approached her quickly, and for a moment she thought he was going to hit her "you're always on my time" he stated lowly before lightly patting her face in a patronizing way before exiting the room.

With a scowl, she zipped up her leather jacket. She decidedly did not like this new boss at all. "I'm afraid this horse will throw me so high that birds will nest in my ears before I hit the ground" Audrey muttered to herself before walking out through the doorway, only to almost bump in to Mello holding a fresh chocolate bar. "Where are you going?" he asked angrily and she glared at him. "Home!" she yelled and he scoffed at her. "Who said you were dismissed for today?" Mello asked and, embarrassedly, she realized he'd never said anything about letting her go home. "I… apologize… Boss" she stated through gritted teeth, glaring daggers into his smug eyes.

"Good" he stated with a sneer as he patted her on the head and re-entered the office. "Now get in here and close that door, we have a very important matter to discuss" he said and Audrey turned to face him, leaning on the doorway. She didn't really want to spend more time with the bastard "About what exactly?" she prompted with an annoyed look. "We need to kidnap Sayu Yagami" he stated and she stood in shock. _Where did that come from?!_


	3. Chapter 3

Serotonin: Chapter Three

"This is a bit ridiculous, isn't it? A helicopter, an underground silo… Overlooking the fact you kidnapped and murdered the _head of Japanese police_ right under our noses…" Audrey stated, giving Mello a dark glare as she continued. "We don't touch police! It's too risky. And I just don't understand your obsession with Kira. Sure, because of him people like us are in more danger but—"

Mello cut off her rant abruptly as he held up a hand "shut up, sit down" he said before walking around his desk and kicking out a chair for her to sit on. Audrey grumbled under her breath as she plopped down in the seat begrudgingly. All the things he was asking her to come up with would surely take a significant number of Mafia favors, (an underground missile silo?!) but not once yet had he offered her an explanation for any of it. Why kidnap this Sayu Yagami girl? She sounded normal, and none of the major drug lords or rival gangs had children of that name, so why?

"Listen, this is impossible without you. You're the reason most of the gang isn't trying to kill me right now—they trust you, and you've shown me that I can trust you too" he paused, looking her dead in the eyes. Was he actually telling the truth? "The real reason I'm doing this is because I want to defeat Kira… become better than Kira! This could give us all the power of Kira, Just imagine what we can do?! We'll be the singular most powerful force in the whole world! Greater than Kira" she took a step back as he talked, a look of disgust rising in her features.

"What the hell did you just say to me?!" she asked incredulously, reaching in her jacket as she stormed up to Mello and swiftly aimed her gun right between his eyes. "Kira is… Kira is _dirt_! Kira is a coward and a devil too frightened to show his face! I never want to be anything close to that pathetic bastard!" she yelled, invading the blonde so far that he had to press his backside into the desk and lean against it. Audrey continued "And if you want to go into that kind of stupid passive sort of killing, go become a hit man for that Russian scum! But _do not_ take my gang with you and drag their name through the mud! _Or I will kill you where you stand right now_" Audrey finished seriously, huffing and puffing from her frenzied rant with her cool gun barrel resting on his forehead. Mello blinked at her, once, twice, three times.

"I thought that's what all criminals wanted to hear…" Mello said, an interested gleam playing across his features. He had to admit; maybe she wasn't just the classic 'do my bidding' goon that he had pegged her for in the first place. Bless that shit Cigar for actually giving him something that could be useful.

"We are not low-class _criminals, _we are the mafia"Audrey scoffed, "and I'm here to serve you because I have no choice—but there's nothing to stop me from being _honorable_ about it. Even _I_ can have morals, flawed as they may be; Kira's just all hat and no cattle" Audrey stated defiantly, and with that Mello finally came to his senses and batted her gun away from him. She stepped back, but still held her gun at the ready as Mello attempted to stare her down.

"Put that away" Mello demanded with an annoyed wave of his hand, "Lets really talk, no bullshitting this time" He finished. It was more curiosity at what the 'real' truth was, than anything else that made her put the gun away. At least it seemed that Mello had realized she wasn't just an idiot with a knack for fooling the rest of the gang.

"I want to catch Kira" Mello stated simply and Audrey's eyes widened. Mello nonchalantly picked a chocolate bar up off of his desk, ripping the wrapper noisily followed by the tinfoil. There was a loud crack as he took a bite, still eyeing Audrey for a reaction.

"What?" Audrey asked dumbfounded. She hadn't expected that. Catching killers is what cops do; becoming a mafia boss is literally the other end of the spectrum. Who the hell becomes a mafia boss so that they can go after a criminal?! "Are you a cop?" Audrey asked, squinting her eyes at him. It was impossibly unlikely; any mafia member worth their salt could spot a cop in disguise, and if Audrey hadn't seen it...

Mello let out a snort which was, Audrey presumed, as close to a laugh as Mello got. "Fuck no, I'm not a cop. What are you, stupid?" Mello commented with a slight shake of his head before continuing seriously. "I want to catch Kira, but I have no police or any other sort of support. So I went to the next best thing. You guys want Kira gone anyway, right? So you can go back to not worrying about punishment—aside from the law" Mello finished and Audrey nodded slowly as she took it all in.

"In that case, Sir, I will continue to do my best and help you" she said and nodded respectfully before starting for the door to navigate to the lounge, where she would begin the work necessary to set the plan in motion. At the last minute, Audrey paused in the doorway, "Also, we are _far better _than the police. We aren't restricted" she stated with a smirk before turning the corner into the hall as another loud crack resounded in the room, Mello took a bite from the bar.

Audrey had begun by booting up one of the computers that they kept on the side of the lounge, calculating the cost of their needs would definitely be beneficial before resorting to mafia favors. As the homepage blinked onto the screen, she went quickly to a market value site to determine the cost of a helicopter. As the search engine processed, she got up and searched under the large desk for a phone book; she had an idea about where to find a silo.

Back when Audrey had first joined the gang, a drug deal had gone down at a silo--involving the man who owned the property, she thought his name was Bill Pecos, but it was better to know for sure than rely on memory. That was why she was rummaging around for the local phone book and, while halfway under the desk, Mello entered the room.

"Looking for rats?" the blonde asked suddenly, startling Audrey so badly that she hit her head on the bottom of the desk with a loud bang. "Ow. Fuck. No, I was looking for this" she stated, resurfacing with a rather large copy of the yellow pages in one hand while rubbing her head with the other. "I think I know where we can find a silo. Most likely free, or for some coke" Audrey finished with a proud smirk, slapping the phonebook on the desk before flipping it open.

"You're quick" Mello stated, in what she presumed was a compliment. Audrey didn't bother to look over her shoulder as the blonde stepped up behind her, looming over her as she rapidly flipped pages looking for Pecos. Although, she had to admit it was a tad unnerving having him watch her so close; but perhaps he was trying to see her worth. The more she could prove that she wasn't just indispensable, the better.

"Yes sir, I figured 'why wait?' this thing is obviously going to take a lot of planning" Audrey pointed out; trailing her fingers down a line of PEC's in the book. Found it "If I can, at least, have one thing done tonight—then I consider myself productive" she stated, pulling her cell out of her pocket and begging to dial the number, but Mello hastily took it from her hands.

"…cute" Mello commented sarcastically, toying with her Hello Kitty phone charm. Audrey blushed furiously, the redness clashing with her hair. Internally, she was cursing herself; here was her big chance to prove she was tough and witty and it was all threatened by a stupid knick-knack. At the time, she hadn't thought anything about the trinket, ever since she was a small child Hello Kitty had always been a weakness. Something about the white cat unleashed her feminine 'ooh it's so cute!' squeals.

"Give it back" she demanded, holding out her hand and trying to hide her embarrassment. Mello looked at her, and then did a double take only to let out a smirk at her flustered face. Hey toyed with the charm in one hand before taking another bite of the chocolate in the other, all the while staring at her. "I mean it, give it" Audrey repeated, opening and closing her hand for emphasis.

He dropped the thin white phone in her hand with the smirk still firmly on his face. "Try dialing 141 before you call, they won't see your number that way" Mello stated and Audrey bit back a snort. "This phone will show up on ID's as 'X', like all phones of the mafia" she tried not to sound like she was saying 'we're not that stupid, you idiot', but the tone was hard to swallow down.

With that she turned and typed in Pecos's number fluidly, and without interruption this time, before lifting the phone to her ear. On the second ring, the line picked up and a tired voice came through the light static crackling.

"Bill's strippers; you want 'em we got 'em, but you have to pay for 'em" a gruff voice on the other end stated monotonically.

"Hand the phone over to Bill" Audrey ordered, shutting the phone book with a slap of pages.

"This is Bill, all applications must be hand-delivery" he sounded annoyed now.

Audrey glared at the air and frowned at his comment. "I'm not a want-to-be stripper you dumb fuck" she winced as soon as she said it; there goes the chance for a freebie. Damn temper.

"Well then what do you want bitch?" Bill demanded, patience obviously wearing thin.

"Watch what you say, asshole! This is the Death Doctor, I believe we've met before," she sneered as she said it, relishing in the uncomfortable silence on the other line. Oh, how they had met indeed; one of Bill's 'bodyguards' had been her first kill, something she had done without even a flinch. He, no doubt, remembered her nickname. "So if you want what I've got, then shut the fuck up and listen" Audrey continued and paused, but there was no response. "You _will_ let us use the silo, no questions asked. In return, ten eightballs" she said bluntly and she could almost hear Bill's gears turning in the short silence that followed.

"Thirteen and I'll make sure to send you the key" Bill bargained and Audrey couldn't help but let out a chuckle as she sneered at the man's voice.

"Ten and I'll make sure to not fucking _kill_ you. This isn't a goddamned negotiation, you should be _lucky_ I'm not just sending some boys to fuck you up and then simply taking what I want. Which, by the way, will happen if you fucking tell _anyone_ about this conversation" Audrey finished threateningly.

Bill wheezed on the line, nervously shouting out "what conversation?!" in a panicky way that made Audrey smile.

"Good boy, you get five eight balls when I get the key and five when I'm done using it. We'll be in touch" she finished, hanging up the phone before the shaky Bill could agree or fight her again.

"That silo is done and done, boss" Audrey stated, smiling triumphantly as she turned around to face Mello. He was giving her an intense stare, squinting his eyes and undoubtedly sizing her up—hopefully in the 'hmm I was wrong about her' way rather than the… well, the _other_ way.

"I like your style… what's your name again?" Mello asked and she frowned at him. He was smart, and probably didn't really forget her name at all. He was showing he was the alpha; he was trying to put her back into place. With that idiot Cigar, she could have nuked china and he wouldn't have noticed, but Mello was much sharper than that. It was clear that he wanted to be firmly in charge; things would be harder to slip past him but, for Audrey, the challenge was somewhat… welcome.

"Call me Adds, Sir" Audrey stated with a smirk.


	4. Chapter 4

**I really appreciate all the people faving this story and such :) reviews are also welcome as well dudes! ---Luv, Cart**

Serotonin: Chapter Four

Audrey yawned and rolled over in bed, reaching over the edge of her mattress for a cigarette to wake her up. She rubbed one eye and slid the sliding glass door open slightly with her foot as she found her lighter and sparked up her cig.

**Pi Pi Pi!**

Audrey smiled to herself at the sound; the Boss was right on schedule. The redhead turned and sat on the edge of the mattress as she flipped the phone open. "Speak" Audrey stated with a sigh of smoke. Even though she had told Mello yesterday that it wasn't necessary to visit Bill personally, the Boss had insisted on it—and taking her along too. Audrey wasn't quite sure why, any meathead would do the job just fine, but none-the-less Audrey would take the opportunity to prove her worth once again.

"I wanted to make sure you were ready" said Mello's voice from the phone line, making Audrey smirk. She almost always woke up before any sort of alarm, and since Mello had told her to be ready at 9:00 PM, here she was awake at 8:30. Punctuality is something a mafia member cannot ignore, and it was early in her life that Audrey's internal clock adjusted to sleeping all day and living at night. The fact that Mello felt the need to doubt her professionalism about a simple thing like time-management almost made her laugh.

"Come hell or high water, I'm always ready Boss" Audrey countered, stabbing out her cigarette on the sliding door seal and walking over to her fridge, picking up a nearly empty bottle of vodka on the way. "Now, is there something specific you need to remind me sir? Otherwise I will be at HQ promptly at 9" she said, opening the fridge and frowning as she spotted it's only two contents; a container of baking soda and some horseradish. She forgot to pickup more orange juice, and she mentally noted to grocery shop on the way home tonight.

There was a pause from Mello's line before he replied simply "don't be late" He hung up and Audrey flipped the phone closed, tossing it on the bed as she took a swig of vodka before heading for the shower. Today she wanted to look intimidating and professional, but in a way that was so hot that Bill only dreamed she was applying as one of his whores. Audrey hadn't forgotten the bastard's comment from last night plus, since the opportunity had presented itself, she would make the fucker eat his words and wish for seconds.

That was why she donned her outfit with a smirk; a low cut black strapless top that showed off some cleavage as well as the tattoos across her collarbones and the ones on her arms. She followed that up with some tight black skinny jeans that fit low on her hips to show off just a hint of her tight stomach. Combined with her usual boots and jacket, Audrey smiled at the perfectly sharp-edged look and left her hair loose as an afterthought.

Since it was already 8:45, Audrey quickly stuffed her gun in her jacket and hid her hunting knife in her boot heel. Then she collected her phone, lighter, and cigarettes as well as a wad of cash for anything else she might need; or groceries. She took a quick look around the apartment for anything else of importance, and upon seeing none; she hastily snatched her keys and helmet before flying out the door. Mello would not have the satisfaction to see her tardy.

The minute she slid onto her bike, her nerves started humming with excitement. It had been a long time since she had completed a simple exchange job in person, and further, the thought of showing Bill she was well out of his slimy little league was making her grin. During Audrey's first real job, so long ago, she was seen as a weakling and a laughable asset to bring to a drop; that was one of the reasons Bill thought his men could take her and the crew from sector 4 that she had rolled with back then. And Bill succeeded, but only in shooting her men, since Audrey managed to make it out with the money and her first kill (one of Bill's bodyguards) regardless. Now was her chance to show the bastard just how much she'd changed since then. Nothing would go south tonight.

Audrey let herself in and parked in the HQ garage as usual, but it was the sudden voice as she took off her helmet that made her jump. "You're late" Mello said from the darkness of the doorway before stepping into the garage and shutting the door behind him. Audrey acted as if he hadn't nearly made her jump out of her skin, and swung her leg over her bike before sliding off the sleek ride nonchalantly.

She checked the clock on her phone. "It's exactly 9" Audrey stated, dropping her helmet on the bike seat and jamming her keys into her jacket pocket. Mello smirked at her, shifting a small duffel bag on his shoulder that was, no doubt, filled with Bill's coke.

"9:00:34" Mello corrected, his smirk getting wider when she gave him an annoyed look. "Stop staring, let's go" he said smugly, walking further into the garage without taking so much as a glance back at her. Audrey rolled her eyes at his back before following behind him through the maze of cars ranging from expensive to unassuming that the mafia owned. The blonde came to a stop at a black audi rs4, just invisible enough to not attract attention from the cops, but classy enough to prove they meant business. Even Audrey had to admit, Mello had a sensible taste. Even if he was fond of leather.

"Put this in the trunk" Mello said, tossing her the duffel bag—which was surprisingly heavy. She barely caught it, but the force of the weight sent her back slamming into another car. _Hard._ She groaned from the impact, frowned, and quickly covered up the pain shooting through her back. Damn, she would be bruised. "Come on, we don't have all day" he said, and Audrey's eyes shot over to glare at him—only to be met by his smirk. Dammit, he was testing her wasn't he?

"Sorry boss" she stated, as straight-faced as she could while she gritted her teeth in anger and pain. Audrey cursed him in her head as he ducked inside the car and she lugged the duffel bag around the car to the trunk. However, upon opening it, she jumped back in surprise and slammed it shut. She couldn't believe…_was that…?_ Audrey opened the trunk again before quickly stuffing in the bag. She felt sick. Audrey charged back up to the passenger door and got inside with a slam.

"What the fuck is that about Mello?!" she asked, jerking her thumb back to indicate the trunk. The blonde started the car silently. "Mello, that is one of our own! She's just a kid!" Audrey exclaimed, in complete disbelief at his lack of empathy for the young girl from the prostitute division tied up in the trunk. He started to back out of the garage, but stopped and finally looked at her.

"Put on your seatbelt" he stated, and Audrey felt her blood boil.

"I'm not doing anything until you explain to me!" she shouted, glaring death at him.

Mello gave her a steely stare and a blank face. "I talked to some guys last night. Do you know that Pecos has wanted you dead since the last time you saw him? He's even put a hit on you" she wasn't really surprised and said nothing, staring at him and waiting for him to get to the point about the girl in the trunk. "…you shot his brother, you know" Mello finished and Audrey shrugged.

"So? Don't ask me to come along then" Audrey stated before opening the door "and don't use little girls for my insurance. It's not like I can't take care of myself, what makes you think they wouldn't shoot the kid anyway?" she asked with one foot out of the door, Bill may not be heartless but if he really wanted Audrey dead that badly, he would have to trouble shooting the human shield. Presumably, that's what the girl was anyway.

Mello stopped her from stepping out of the car, his gloved hand gripping her wrist tightly and pulling Audrey back into her seat. "Are you really that stupid? Apparently you're as shitty with faces as the prostitute division. That girl back there is Pecos's niece; she's been trying to get in with us in order to kill you. Revenge." he paused "We can swing this so that Pecos cancels the hit" Mello explained slowly, as if Audrey was a child.

"I didn't ask you to help me with my dirty laundry! If Bill has wanted me dead for years, his hits are obviously shit anyway. I'm not doing this bull" Audrey stated, struggling to break his grip on her.

Mello smirked "what are you, scared?" he asked, and she fumed as she suddenly understood. This was another test, or maybe a chance to raise her value—no hits meant a lower profile and a greater chance of rising in the ranks. If Mello wanted to play that way, she would play then. Without a word, Audrey closed the audi door and clicked on her seatbelt. If anything, tonight should prove to be interesting.

"Good girl" Mello stated, lapsing back into his blank face as he backed out of the garage and into the street. The drive to Bill's was as silent as a deer in a hunter's sights, and just as uncomfortable.

"Hey sugar, how can I be of your service?" a voluptuous blonde purred at Mello as the three entered the strip joint. Pecos's niece was still unconscious, but held against Mello's side as if she was a gold digging girl with determination. With the black wig the niece wore as part of her job, and the large sunglasses Mello had brought to put on her, it was highly unlikely anyone would recognize her. At least not yet.

Audrey elbowed Mello aside and smiled widely at the blonde "Tell Bill an old friend is here to see him" Audrey stated, making the blonde bimbo look bewildered by the redhead's grin. Audrey was positively itching for some action now, her expression showed, and she adjusted the duffel bag on her shoulder silently.

"Right this way sug, I'll take you to his office" the blonde states, her bubblegum smile warily back on her face. Without a word the two trailed behind the woman as she led them through a field of flashing lights, twirling girls, and hollering crowds. They came close to a cadged girl, who giggled loudly and reached out to run a hand through Mello's silky blonde hair. He stopped walking and began to give the girl a glare before Audrey gave the cadged girl a sharp slap on the wrist, making her cry out and pout at the redhead.

"Don't touch what's not yours" Audrey muttered, giving the cadged girl a glare before Audrey shoved Mello in the back and edged him towards the receding blonde woman they had been following. Even if she was determined to remain stone-faced and scary, Audrey couldn't help but blush when she caught the smirk Mello threw at her with a glance. Boss was valuable, simple scum weren't supposed to touch him. She was only doing her job.

"Here you are, sug!" the blonde said with a polite smile, breaking Audrey out of her reverie as the group came to a stop at a simple metal door with a 'BILL' plaque screwed into it. Mello waited until the blonde woman left before he opened the door, casually re-adjusting the niece as he took a step inside.

"What the hell Candice! I told you I don't want to be—" Bill cut himself off as the stripper got off of him, no longer blocking his view of Mello and Audrey standing in the small office. Bill paused and glared at the two of them, but then looked away as he smacked the stripper's ass. "Go get Jeff, Lolli" Bill ordered, adjusting his shirt as the girl scurried out of the room. _Thank god he kept it in his pants, _Audrey thought with disgust, _Jesus he's fatter than the last time I saw him…_

"Well well, if it isn't the new boss himself. I've heard things about you son, but I didn't think they were true for a minute. Never thought you could really be so wimpy, pretty boy" Bill sneered. Audrey didn't give Bill another chance to open his greasy mouth before she whipped out her gun and cocked it at him. "Ah, and if it isn't the little firecracker herself... Tell me, how was Danni's funeral Firecrotch?" Bill stated with a chuckle, Audrey let out a growl and would have charged up to pistol whip him if Mello wasn't grabbing her forearm.

"If I were you, I would shut that gob of yours before someone gets hurt" Mello stated calmly, releasing his hold on the niece at his side and letting her fall limply to his feet; her sunglasses clattered off. Tension cut though the room, there was a shocked expression on Bill's face as the blinked rapidly, looking from Mello to the niece.

Bill quickly gulped down his expression and faced Mello with a steely glare "I don't know what shit informants you have, boy, but that girl isn't one of mine. I don't give two shits if you kill some sleazy prostitute. Do you think you're going to pin some hooker murder on me?" Bill finished with a halfhearted laugh. As he spoke, Audrey glanced over her shoulder at a slight creak and was confronted with a gun barrel held by one of the two burly men in the doorway.

"Put your weapon down, ginger" the one with the gun said, shaking the metal in her face to emphasize his point. Audrey smirked at him, her hands and gun in full view as she slowly edged to the floor at Mello's feet beside the niece. The gun-less thug kicked the piece away from her hands, "You too, blondie, hands in full view now" the other man ordered and Mello obliged with a scowl, Bill chuckling at the display all the while. Everyone was much too busy to notice Audrey fishing for the knife in her heel.

"You see, boy, you have something I want far more than drugs," Bill paused, directing his attention from Mello to Audrey and making her abruptly stop moving. "And that is the head of that little _bitch_ right there" Bill finished, and Audrey couldn't help but smirk at him evilly.

"I suppose you don't want to discuss exactly what I have for you there in that duffel bag then?" Mello asked, lips twitching into a smirk as he caught Bill's attention once again. "Now, we can discuss this like civilized men, can't we?" Mello asked further, positively relishing the furious expression created on Bill's face as he weighed the pros and cons of the situation.

No one was taking heed of Audrey as she slowly crept her arm around the niece's neck, the hunting knife dully glinting in the sparse light of the office. "The only think that interests me is that bitch dead. They say you're some kind of genius, but you were stupid enough to come here alone with that worthless girl" Bill stated, shooting Audrey a dark look. That was when the shining knife caught his attention. "What the fuck Tim?! She's got a knife!" Bill exclaimed, looking quickly from the thug with the gun to Audrey. Mello gave her a surprised, but obviously annoyed look—which made Audrey hesitate; were Bill's guards part of Mello's plan? She thought that, with the confiscation of her gun, that any plan Mello had had was now ruined. Was she wrong?

"Wait, don't you see—" Mello was caught off with a loud burst of gunfire and a surprised scream of anguish. Audrey had been shot in the shoulder, and despite her scream and her reddened face, she hadn't let go of her hold around the niece's throat. Plus, Audrey had managed to swipe off the neice's wig with her other hand. The room was silent.

"I-I guess that, ugh, you can tell who this i-is now, eh Bill?" Audrey muttered through gritted teeth, sweating and obviously in pain. She still refused to grab her shoulder or try to stop the bleeding, instead keeping on hand firmly in the girl's real hair, and the other around her neck.

"A-Ash? Ashley?" Bill called out distantly and in disbelief, finally standing up from his chair as he took a step towards Audrey and Ashley.

"Not another step, fucker!" Audrey shouted suddenly, followed by a short groan of pain which she quickly stifled with a wince. "Another step closer and, I swear, I'll slit her—ugh—fucking throat!" Audrey warned, managing to give Bill another evil grin through her pained expression.

Bill stepped back, eyes dashing from Audrey to Mello as he spoke "That's right, let's not be too hasty here. Your brother's already dead, it would be a shame to lose your niece, now wouldn't it?" Mello questioned smugly before turning towards Bill's two thugs. "Give your fucking guns to me" Mello asked sharply, prompting them with a cold "_now_" when they didn't move. Once properly equipped with two handguns pointing directly at Bill, the blonde began to speak again. "This is what is going to happen. You will hand over that key and take your hit off of my associate here," Mello turned his head slightly, indicating Audrey "and then we'll give you the girl alive, along with half of what is in that duffel bag. The rest will be given to you every two weeks until we're sure you've called all your hits off her" Mello finished.

Anxiously, the whole room waited with baited breath, fixed on Bill's face as the time ticked by. But time was the one thing Audrey didn't have, there was already a good pint of blood dribbling from the gunshot wound, and it would only take 5 more pints for her to bleed out…


	5. Chapter 5

Audrey was feeling dizzy already, but gritted her teeth and bared it as Bill opened and closed his mouth silently. "What's in the duffel?" Bill finally croaked out, his eyes locked onto his unconscious niece's figure and not even glancing at the duffel bag resting on the floor behind Audrey. Another shooting pain shot down her arm and Audrey shivered, biting back a hiss of pain as she took a furtive glance at Mello. The only words that were pounding determinedly in her head were, _don't look weak_. What would she do if Mello thought she was useless? If Mello kicked her out of the mafia, what else could she do with her life? Nothing, that was the only real answer.

"Now, that's something that's really interesting. Audrey, if you please" Mello said coolly, glancing at her and staring at her gunshot wound a little too long before focusing back onto Bill; the two guns in his hands hadn't strayed with Mello's eyes, not that Bill had even noticed. The fat man was still staring at the tarted-up face of his once precious niece, now looking like cheap street trash. Audrey felt for him in a way and maybe, if he hadn't shot Danni and Glen, she might have had more compassion when she unzipped the duffel and threw a few of the pictures at Bill.

The fat man's face fell, and the true length of his years showed through. Bill suddenly looked old, old and sad and lonely and utterly ashamed. He held one of the glossy pages in his hand; a blown-up image of his little niece Ashley crouching in an alley face-deep in a businessman's pants. Bill began to shake, and for a minute Audrey almost thought he was going to cry, but then the hardness and cruelty came back into his face. Bill reddened, then opened his mouth furiously "GET OUT!" he thundered, ripping the picture in two. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT!" he roared again, spittle flying in his rage as he threw a heavy ring of keys straight at Mello's face.

The blonde caught them effortlessly, a smirk working over his face "The pictures in the bag are only half, all of them are different men too" Mello stated, only making Bill's face contort further into fury.

"FUCK YOU, GODDAMN PUNK!" Bill roared, "GET THE FUCK OUT!" If it wasn't for the two guns aimed at Bill, Audrey was sure that the fat man would've punched Mello.

"You should get her tested, Billy boy" Mello continued, something in his eyes dangerously gleaming as he egged Bill on. If he continued, guns or not, Bill would strangle him; this is exactly what Audrey thought as she painstakingly rose to her feet, absent-mindedly shoving her knife in her jacket pocket as she clutched her wound to apply pressure. The room was spinning, she felt way dizzier than before. She wanted to puke.

"Mel—" Audrey stopped herself as Bill lurched forward, attempting to grab Mello to deliver a punch. Almost as a reflex, Audrey grabbed Bill's arm and kneed him harshly in the stomach; making him let out a loud groan and double over before falling onto the floor. "Fucking prick" Audrey muttered, swaying. The action had greatly distorted what little sense of balance she had, and the ground swam under her feet. The stench of iron blood was making her head hurt. She just wanted to sleep.

Strong arms steadied her and, in spite of herself, Audrey jumped. "God dammit, you're a fucking mess" Mello stated before swinging her good arm over his shoulder and turning a gun barrel to Bill. "show me the backdoor out of this shithole, or you're not getting anything else from us" Mello threatened and Bill glared at him before shoving one of his own burly guards into the closed door.

"Show them the emergency exit, and then bring me some water and some aspirin. And clothes, dammit some real fucking clothes" Bill threw sorry glances at his niece before turning his back to everyone and crouching beside her.

Without a word, the guard opened the door and gestured both Mello and Audrey through as the other guard led the way down the hall. "Can't you walk?" Mello stated sharply to Audrey, who was stumbling and dragging her feet.

Her eyes were almost lulled closed as she spoke "Can't yooou try… not to get your ownnn …associates shot?" Audrey slurred, head dipping lowly before resting against Mello's shoulder. The smell of his leather, steely gunmetal, and own musky sent almost comforted her; at least, it made her want to puke less.

The guard opened a plain metal door, moonlight pouring in from outside as well as chatter from other people. "Okay, just keep it together until we get to the car" Mello whispered, tickling Audrey lightly with his breath when he leaned down to whisper in her ear. The pain of the shot wasn't precisely the biggest issue anymore, now it had resided into a simple dull pulsing ache—as if someone was distantly poking her. The only problem now was the sleepy feeling creeping across her; something that she had learned in medical studies was bad. Why was it bad? Well, she couldn't exactly remember that at the moment, and she was slowly starting to convince herself that maybe just shutting her eyes for a moment wasn't so terrible. Then Mello shook her and her eyes fluttered lazily open again.

"Don't close your eyes. You need to tell me how to fix this" Mello stated, glancing around at the many strangers that littered the street between them and the car. Oh right, she should know how to repair the wound—she was the medic here. Audrey nearly fell on her face as she tripped over the curb, but Mello righted her easily before she could cause anymore harm to her body. She was hardly paying attention to her feet anymore and instead trying to think about gunshot wounds.

Mello stopped and Audrey lifted her head at the change. "Hey buddy, is she alright? She's looking pretty pale there…" a policeman asked, blocking their path. Audrey glared at him, she hated cops. Cops were bad. He probably shouldn't see her jacket, which would be bad. Audrey forgot why, was it the name on the back?

"She's perfectly fine, sir, she's just had a little too much to drink tonight. I'm just trying to get her home" Mello stated, giving an attempt at an innocent smile to the officer. Thank god Audrey's jacket was covering the blood in the dim light, the red mixed in with the black. The cop looked unconvinced, frowning at Mello and the swaying Audrey.

The cop pulled out his flashlight "have you had anything to drink tonight yourself?" the cop asked, prepared to shine the light in Mello's eyes. That would be bad. The blood would be obvious against the jacket with some light. Mello glanced at Audrey worriedly, his free hand gripping around the trigger of the gun in his pocket.

"I… don't feel gooood" Audrey stated and suddenly doubled over, hurling all over the street and nearly missing the cop's shoes amid a surprised shout from the officer. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect.

The cop covered his mouth, looking queasy himself. "Go ahead and get her on home son" he stated hurriedly, not even giving Mello the chance to nod before racing off for the nearest trashcan. Mello let go of his grip on his gun as he used both arms to hoist Audrey up and finish the rest of the short distance to the car.

"Fuck, I puked" Audrey stated as Mello unlocked the door to the back seat and laid her down.

"Yes, I know, but that doesn't matter. Tell me what to do" Mello stated, beginning to remove her jacket before he cringed. There was at least three pints of blood sticking and dripping inside the jacket and on her arm. He quickly slid the jacket out from under her, tossing it into the car floor and unintentionally smearing the blood around the interior. "What do I do?!" he repeated, patting her cheeks as her eyes rolled open again.

"Wha? Oh… just… I neeeed…" Audrey thought hard, knitting her eyebrows together. It was hard to concentrate with the smell of blood fresh around her, her shirt soaked in it and sticking to her body along with some of her hair. "I neeed… water… a knife… some bandages" she recalled, smiling softly when she properly got it.

Mello cursed loudly as he dug around before finding a half bottle of water under the seat and retrieved her own knife out of her jacket. But he was at a loss for bandages; it wasn't like there was a medical kit in the car. "There's no bandages" Mello stated after patting her awake again. Audrey's eyes darted around before she sighed deeply in annoyance and snatched the knife from him, wobbly trying to cut a hole in her jeans. Mello quickly caught onto her point and took the knife back before ripping a large strip from her jeans.

"Dig it ouuut" Audrey stated simply, rolling over so that the wounded arm was facing up at him; her hand was still covering it and applying pressure. Mello ignored the blood that she'd just smeared all over the seat and loomed over her in the car, looking behind him before shutting the car door to keep passerby's eyes away from the scene. The best position he could utilize was straddling her hips, that gave him enough room to easily maneuver the knife, but he did his best to keep their bodies from touching. Unless it was necessary. It was a strange time to notice how well the strapless shirt fit her slim and taunt body, but Mello couldn't help it as his gaze drifted up and down the woman under him.

He shook the foolish thoughts out of his mind easily, using the focusing mindset that all those years studying at Whammy's had provided for him. "Move your hand" he stated gruffly, frowning at the blood that welled up as soon as he picked up her wrist and moved it away. Mello hoped the bullet wasn't as deep as he thought and plunged the knife in to the side of the wound.

The pain had felt nearly non-existent before, but now Audrey couldn't help but let out a loud howl as the knife slid against her skin. She suddenly felt wide awake and the awful stickiness of the blood around her made her gag, but the searing feeling in her arm as Mello scooped out the bullet was enough to distract her. She heard Mello muttering expletives under his breath and joined him in the near chant-like words as he pushed the bullet further and further towards the surface of her skin. After what seemed like forever, she felt the bullet push back out of the wound and Audrey let out a large sigh of relief as the knife left her skin as well.

"Give me the water" Audrey asked quietly, beginning to feel dizzy again. She needed to replace all the nutrients in the blood she lost, water was good but food would be better. Sugars or carbs would be perfect. She emptied the entire bottle in just four large gulps, despite the fact that it tasted stale and had probably been under the seat for quite some time. Audrey allowed herself to lie down and rest for a few minutes while Mello silently tied the strip of denim around her arm tight enough to apply pressure. If she got up too quickly now she might just pass out.

Mello finished and sighed, "You still look really pale. Are you sure that you didn't lose too much blood?" He was still hovering over her, now crouching awkwardly in the backseat instead of straddling her.

"I lost a lot, but not enough to kill me. I need food though. Some sugars or carbs to replace the nutrients I lost" Audrey explained simply, trying to remember if there was any fast food places in the area. She was about to ask if Mello knew but it was just then that he started cursing loudly. "What? What is it?" Audrey asked in confusion as Mello leaned over into the front seat, she could hear him rummaging through the glove box.

"You just better be thankful for this" Mello grumbled under his breath, tossing something at her before turning and opening the car door. As Audrey examined the package, Mello got in the front seat and started the car.

She must have done a good job, no, a great job if Mello was giving her something like this—he could have just gotten her food from some 24 hour place. The chocolate bar wrapper crinkled in her hands as she opened it gently, and then took a tentative bite. This was good chocolate, not Hershey crap. It was probably from Europe, Switzerland or something. It tasted like a congratulations on a job well done, and that made her smile. "Mello?" she spoke up tentatively, speaking around the chocolate melting in her mouth.

"What?" He sounded annoyed, most likely by the traffic that was now holding them at a standstill. The taillights lit his face dimly in a red glow, although Audrey could only see the profile of his face from where she was laying down.

"I'm… you aren't going to fire me, right?" she asked quietly, but then quickly rebuked her tone. "B-because no one in the gang would stand for it, you know. You get rid of me, they'll hog tie you faster than you can say Jack Robinson!" Audrey really meant to sound intimidating, but her voice was betraying her and her obvious unease sunk through. There was no doubt that Mello picked up the insecurity in her words.

He turned in his seat to look at her, his eyes steely and hard. "You think I would go through all this trouble if I didn't want to keep you?" Audrey opened her mouth, but quickly closed it as soon as she realized the question was rhetorical. Mello turned to face the windshield once again before he spoke "what we did, that wasn't just to get Bill to give up the missile silo; it was to cut those hits on you. Idiot" he finished. The car was moving again, and the taillight's illumination was gone. He was stating the obvious, but Audrey thought he was only doing this so that he could trade her for a better price, or so that she would be able to get a job once he cut her loose. If he was planning on keeping her, then the hassle surely wasn't worth it--she'd managed to keep Bill's hits at bay with the power of the mafia without even knowing about it.

"I never asked for your help" Audrey stated flatly, kicking herself for the comment when she was supposed to be thankful. She took another bite of the chocolate bar to shut herself up as the car coated itself in silence. The window let in small slits of the night sky, buildings, signs, and streetlamps; all of it made Audrey feel more queasy as they rushed by and she decided to sit up.

That was when she noticed Mello's eyes watching her in the rear-view mirror, but as soon as they met her own they darted away so quickly that Audrey decided not to mention it. "Which way to your place from here? I'll drop you off" Mello stated and stopped at a red light.

"The Derris Apartments, I've told you this before," Audrey stated, frowning as she recalled their rather unpleasant conversation about her 'messing around'. she had since then decided that Mello was one of those possessive people, especially over things of value to him. At the very least, it made her feel a bit of pride. "But just take me back to headquarters. My bike is there anyway, I can drive myself home" Audrey finished, only half the chocolate bar remaining now.

Mello's grip noticeably tightened on the steering wheel, but he still didn't turn to look at her. "You can't get shot and then be perfectly fine after some water and chocolate. What I said wasn't an option. I was telling you that I'm taking you home, and I was asking directions not where you live. 3A, on the third floor. I know" Mello stated, taking Audrey aback as she blushed at her mistake. Nevertheless, she wasn't just going to leave her bike at headquarters overnight; how was she expected to get there tomorrow for work?

"Can you just take me to headquarters? I'll take a nap and then I'll be fine enough in the morning to go back to my place. I'm not leaving my ducati there" Audrey stated, as somewhat of a compromise.

Mello was frowning from what she could see of his face in the rear-view mirror. "You're not leaving until I say you can go. I'm not going to be responsible for you becoming road pizza" Mello finished, and Audrey caught herself smirking humorously at him.

"Thanks boss" she stated quietly before leaning back in her seat and letting her muscles relax as she closed her eyes. Maybe he was right after all, she could use some good sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The car jostled Audrey as she slept, at the same time a bright light assaulted her closed eyelids and made her press further against the seat and hide her face in the material. The leather texture felt different, and smelt like guns and metal and… boy. At that thought, Audrey pried open her eyes and immediately realized she was being carried down the hall of the headquarters. Carried; like some pathetic doll. With a bright blush, she looked up at who was carrying her and wasn't surprised to find out it was Mello.

"What are you doing? Put me down!" Audrey insisted, wiggling in his arms. Could this get any more uncomfortable? Why in the hell hadn't the boss called Tito or Van to lug her to an empty room?

Mello wasn't paying any attention to her, she realized, as he was busy finishing off a chocolate bar and reading the numbers on the room doors. It was only when she elbowed him in the side that his eyes flickered down to her. "Morning sunshine" Mello commented sarcastically, his stride never halting as he spoke and his eyes focused again on the room numbers.

"you could have just left me in the car to sleep" Audrey grumbled, crossing her arms. "And did you hear me? I said to let me down! I'm no sack of potatoes!" she protested, thrashing in his grasp. His grip only held her tighter, and she could almost swear he was smirking with amusement. Damn him.

"Do I really have to reiterate? You can't get shot and then be fine after some chocolate and water" Mello stated, sighing as he glanced at her "you're so damn stubborn" he commented and Audrey pouted, crossing her arms and giving up on her futile struggle.

Mello had finally reached one of the, presumably, few empty rooms in headquarters. "I think stubbornness happens to be a very useful quality, thank you very much" Audrey quipped, but Mello ignored her as he shifted her in his arms in order to open the door. The room was a glorified closet, even smaller than her Derris apartment, but the tattered wallpaper as well as the warm wooden flooring and the fairly nice bunk bed made it feel cozy. It reminded Audrey of the apartment she'd had with her parents once…

Mello unceremoniously dropped her onto the bottom bunk and brought her back into reality. "Now get some rest, big day tomorrow" Mello stated, staring at her until she curled up satisfactorily on the sheet-less bed. He ran a hand through his hair before turning and retreating back to the door where he paused, hand on the doorknob. "Come find me before you leave, I want to make sure you're ok to drive" he stated before walking out and slamming the door behind him.

_Why does he care? Why did he go through so much trouble to take off those hits? _Audrey thought to herself as she stared absent-mindedly at the peeling wallpaper. It was all so stupidly unnecessary. _Perhaps I got what I wanted, maybe I'm valuable in Mello's eyes. _Audrey shook her head as she mentally corrected herself-_valuable in my __**boss's**__ eyes_-the way she'd just stated it had sounded far too personal for her taste. She was a mafia member; cold, calculated, versatile… there was no room in her for anything else. Even if, admittedly, Audrey was starting to warm up to the new mafia boss. "That's all he is" she spoke aloud to herself, "He is the boss, can't be anything more" as if speaking the words aloud would somehow strengthen her argument. After all, she was a woman, and even she had noticed how attractive Mello was. It was hard not to with the way he practically paraded himself around in his leather ensembles.

With a sigh, Audrey rolled over on the mattress and closed her eyes tightly, trying to stop thinking and slip into some semblance of sleep instead. All these thoughts were making her exhausted.

It seemed like only a second after she closed her eyes that a loud bang jolted Audrey awake and immediately the redhead sat bold upright in bed, gun out and aimed at the doorway where Mello stood eating a chocolate bar with a smirk. "Morning sunshine" he said sarcastically and Audrey groaned before flopping back down on the bed, her gun clattering to the floor where her boots and socks laid.

She rubbed her hands over her eyes "what time is it?" she questioned, still feeling exhausted from last nights escapades. The more Audrey moved, the more she wanted a shower. She was suddenly painfully aware of the dried blood mussing her hair and marking her clothes, making her feel disgusting and itchy. She made a face as she rubbed her arm crusty with blood, the messy jean bandage desperately needing to be replaced.

"it's seven, pm, and we have work to do" Mello replied, leaning against the doorframe and frowning at her. "You look a lot worse than last night" he stated, "like hell, really" Mello added and Audrey rolled her eyes at him.

"Gee, thanks, boss" Audrey stated with heavy sarcasm. "does that mean I have time for a shower before we gotta work? …I'm assuming I don't have enough time to go home" she asked, stretching before wincing and rubbing her injured arm.

Mello visibly thought something over for a minute before pushing himself away form the doorframe to stand freely. "You need more than a shower. C'mon" he stated, taking a cracking bite from his chocolate bar before turning and walking down the hall; without even looking back to see if she was following. Audrey rolled her eyes before sighing and hurrying out to follow Mello down the hall, leaving her gun and boots behind.

"wait up! Where are we going?" Audrey questioned, barely keeping up with the blonde's long-legged strides. Mello didn't answer until they came to a stop at a door; it would have matched any other door in the headquarters if it wasn't for the puzzling scrapes and dents marring it. Audrey barely had time to even glance at the scars before Mello swung the door open unnecessarily violently and caused it to bang against the wall (she guessed it was how he always opened doors, considering that was how he had woken her up this morning). The inside of the room was dark, since the black curtains for the large windows were pulled tightly shut. It took her a few minutes to adjust to the lighting, but when she did, Audrey was surprised at the minimalist décor. The only things worth nothing aside from normal furniture was a large lacquered cross on one wall, and the deep red plush comforter; that and the overall cleanliness of the room.

It was when Mello began to rummage through one of the dresser drawers that Audrey realized with a slight shock that she was standing in his room. That thought alone made her suck in a breath and be more careful about not touching anything, even though she was curious enough to want to. Instead, she stepped cautiously towards the cross, noting that it was rather ornate. The Jesus that was crucified on it was certainly not for the squeamish, she observed the realism of it's starved and bleeding body; but it was the tortured mourning face that made her shiver.

"Here" Mello stated from behind her, coming up so fast that it made her jump. Sheepishly, like she was a kid caught with ice cream before supper, she turned and faced him only to be surprised by the placid look on his face. He didn't seem perturbed at all by her gawking. "These might fit you, they're from a few years ago when I was skinnier. I'm not letting you waste any time to go home and change" Mello explained, handing her a stack of faded black. Audrey blushed in spite of her self at the thought of wearing his clothes, the thoughts from last night resurfacing in her brain in a rather annoying way.

She would have said a simple thanks, had her eyes not drifted down and caught onto the rosary hanging around his neck. "I thought that was just for decoration" she blurted, not really meaning to vocalize her random thought. Mello's eyes hardened as he gripped the cross of the rosary in one hand. She was being too personal, wasn't she? Her embarrassment was making her jittery and impulsive.

"Most people do" Mello stated, fiddling with the rosary absently with his fingers. Audrey was beside herself, her life growing up was far from religious and she was at a loss of what exactly to say. It felt like she was invading his space.

Audrey cleared her throat awkwardly "anyway, I'm going to go shower. Thanks for the clothes and all; be out in two shakes of a lamb's tail" she commented, moving out of the room with no protest from Mello. She knew her way well enough around the headquarters to find the showers, the only problem being that they were built dormitory-style and therefore had many showers in one room (as well as toilets, sinks, ect.). Audrey just had to hope that none of the guys used the women's side since the mafia had scarce female members.

Thankfully, she quickly showered and dressed without incident. The clothes Mello had given her fit relatively well, although the pants were skin tight and the black wife-beater tank had low enough armholes to give peeks of her bright red bra. A short bought of hunting through the counter cabinets yielded her some deodorant and a hairbrush, but there was no such luck with makeup or a hairdryer. She decidedly tied her still damp hair into a high ponytail and cleaned up the weeping black makeup around her eyes as best she could; now it just looked like she had a bad case of insomnia. Another search in the cabinets provided some Neosporin and a spool of sterile bandages, which she happily used to clean and then re-wrap her wound, throwing the old denim in the trash along with her bloodied clothes.

With a sigh, she exited the bathroom to find Mello and get her assignment for the night. He wasn't in his office, he wasn't in the conference room, the kitchen, living room, he wasn't even in her pathetic closet room (she didn't really even go there to look for him anyway, more to get her shoes and her gun) and she couldn't find the blonde hothead anywhere. Then, she thought of it and bit her lip. Logically, he was probably in his room; but did she really want to go in there? Audrey had already felt like she was intruding earlier, and if he was in his room now he was probably thinking hard about something.

She knocked on the scarred door tentatively and set her jaw, determined not to betray the unease she was feeling at the situation. After a few moments of no reply, she swung the door to Mello's room open and took a step inside. It took her eyes a minute to adjust again before she could spot the blonde himself kneeling before the cross; hands clasped in prayer. Audrey immediately felt awkward, and assuming that he hadn't noticed her in his concentration, quietly began to back out of the room. She hadn't delved into anything cautiously in her entire life, but here she was treading around the new boss in glass shoes. What the hell had gotten into her?

"Where are you going?" Mello asked, eyes opening and turning to fix her in their gaze. Audrey faltered for a moment before regaining her professional tone.

"I didn't want to disturb you, boss" she stated, hand frozen on the doorknob and legs paused in their step. Mello crossed himself wordlessly, got up out of his kneeling position, and strode over to her.

He reached out and tugged at the side of her shirt, an amused smirk on his face. "The clothes fit you okay" it was a statement rather that a question, but Audrey blushed just the same before swatting his hand away without thought.

"yes, although I'm astounded people make jeans this tight" Audrey commented, pulling the denim away from her thigh before letting it go with a snap. She frowned "and just because you've been playing nice lately doesn't give you permission to go about tugging on me" Audrey stated matter-of-factly, only making Mello's smirk widen. He stepped out into the hall and she followed, shutting the door behind her as he began briefing her on tonight's job.

"Since the other men have been taking care of mostly everything, and Matt's gone to get Yagami, you and I are going to take another expedition" Mello stated, leading her through the halls of the headquarters and finally stopping in the kitchen. He rummaged around in cabinets, retrieving a small stack of chocolate bars before turning to her. "we're going shopping for a missile" he explained and Audrey sighed. Tonight would be difficult.

She placed her hands on her hips "and just where exactly are we going to start? How easy do you think it is to get a missile?" Audrey asked incredulously. It seemed that every time she thought something would be easy, Mello had to make some outrageous request.

Mello gave her a disapproving glance before walking out of the kitchen "I did have a life before the mafia, you know" he stated, voice carrying down the hall as she hurried to catch up. "it's not like I just waltzed in and took the mafia that day; I had a plan. And I have a plan now" Mello stated.

Audrey scoffed in spite of herself "right, and you just somehow knew I was going to help you out too" she said with a roll of her eyes. Mello turned suddenly, fixing her with a steely blue gaze that stopped her mouth immediately.

"Are you trying to say that you don't think I'm smart enough to be here?" He asked coldly. The sudden change in his presence made Audrey want to shiver, but she only allowed herself the movement of setting her jaw firmly in place.

"Of course not. I'm just saying that I'm waiting to see your brilliant planning skills in action" Audrey stated, giving Mello her own intimidating look without backing down.

Mello stared at her unflinchingly "you will. Soon enough" he stated before turning his back on her and continuing down the hall. Just like that, the previous tension was broken, and Audrey hurried to catch up to his long strides once again. "Besides, you were a wild card. I knew you existed, but I had no idea how much influence you held behind you" The blonde commented as she returned to his side. Audrey had to give him points there; when she was very young her father taught her to always fly just under the radar, and never let on just how much you knew about anything. That was the easiest way to climb the mafia ladder undetected, and it was a skill she was a master in. It was no wonder Mello hadn't expected her.

"I see your point" she said, as they came to the door that led to the garage. "I didn't mean to come off so harsh" Audrey stopped herself before she blurted it out; sorry_. _She was about to say sorry? And for what? Mello's complete overreaction? She rubbed her hands over her eyes, _Dammit_, she thought, _what the hell is going on with me?_

"what's wrong with you?" Mello asked, breaking her out of her reverie, in a tone that sounded more confused than concerned. Audrey internally shook herself out of her thoughts and sighed.

"It's nothing, I'm just feeling a bit drained since last night. I just gotta focus on the assignment, and I'll be right as rain" Audrey stated, shrugging it off and stepping in front of Mello to open the garage door.

She stepped inside, flicking on the lights as Mello followed her in and shut the door behind himself. "Don't commit if you still need time to recover. I don't need you flaking out on me" Mello stated, striding past her and to the row of cars he'd inherited with the mafia.

"I'm fine, dammit" Audrey grumbled, sliding into the passenger seat of the black escalade he'd picked out. "now, are you going to brief me on this plan or what?" she asked, glaring out the window.

"First we're going to a suit shop" Mello stated "And then we're going to the army base" he concluded, Audrey's jaw practically on the floor.

"WHAT?" she roared, staring at him in disbelief "please tell me that you're not doing what I think you're doing because if you are doing what I think you are I AM ABOUT TO JUMP OUT OF THIS CAR!" She stated rapidly, her voice resending into a wail. The smirk on his face was as much of an answer as she needed. Desperately, she yanked the handle on the door, but Mello had activated the child safety locks. Damn him.


	7. Chapter 7

Audrey was pressing her forehead against the cool window, massaging her temples with her fingertips. "Now, I'm surer than shit that I've told you this before; but we do not mess with cops. And, somehow, your brain translated that into… 'let's go fuck with the army'?" She hissed incredulously at Mello. "How in the sam hills do you think we can pull this off?" she questioned, turning angrily to his face instead of staring out the window.

Mello glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before focusing on the road again. "I recall you saying that you wanted to see my brilliant planning skills in action?" he asked rhetorically with an air of smugness that made Audrey scoff. "All you have to do is let me do all the talking. Just sit there in your suit and look pretty" Mello stated with a smirk, taking another peek at her before focusing on the road.

Mello had insisted that the suit be tailored to her curves when they changed at the suit shop, he said it would make the two of them 'more likeable' to the Army, which made it oh-so-comforting to hear he was pimping out her figure. Even if the plain black ensemble was flattering on her, it still had an air of professionalism that was certainly not her style. Audrey would suffer through it either way because, hey, at least she got to see Mello wear something that wasn't leather. The two of them together certainly looked official in their new suits, complete with the fake FBI badges Matt had expertly crafted for them.

"Oh, and no surprise knives from your boot or some shit this time. Even if, for some insane reason, you think my plan is going south; don't take matters into your own hands. Nearly got you killed last time… you idiot" Mello ordered, squinting his eyes with annoyance at the road.

Audrey rolled her eyes at him "whatever, Bill was about to shoot me anyway. But orders are orders; I'll wait for your approval whenever I do anything…" She paused before continuing sarcastically "by the way, do I have permission to breathe?" she finished, Mello giving her a fake 'haha' before directing the escalade to a stop at the army base security checkpoint.

Mello rolled down the window just as the guard turned on the speaker "good evening to you sir, I just need to see some identification before I let the two of you pass" the speaker crackled.

"Agents Slaton and McKinnley, we're here to obtain some items. I'm sure you're supervisor has talked to you about us" Mello said, showing the window both of their fake ID's.

Audrey was surprised when the guard nodded and let them through without another word. "What, did you really call ahead?" she questioned him curiously.

"There is such a thing as foresight, _McKinnley_" Mello answered with a smirk, handing her back her clip ID which she quickly re-attached to her suit pocket. _That better mean that this is going to go off without a hitch_, Audrey thought, _because if I get shot again I swear I'm gunna slap him._

They parked the car in covered visitors parking before walking into the main building, Mello leading her straight to the reception desk. "I believe we have an appointment with the Sergeant Major" Mello stated to the bored-looking woman.

"I'm going to need your names and ranks, please" she requested and Mello frowned.

"We already have an appointment" He said, but the woman said nothing, so he continued. "Look, I'm agent Slaton from the FBI; and this is a matter of homeland security" he stated, showing her his fake ID. The girl quickly rebuked herself, sitting up straight as a board.

"I'm very sorry sir, it's just the new policy, sir. I'll page him right away" she said nervously before snatching up the phone and dialing a quick extension. "Hello? Mr. Mathers, there are two people from the FBI here to see you. You were expecting them? Oh, I'm sorry I—yes, yes sir. Right away, sir" the woman prattled into the other line before hanging up and turning her attention back to Mello and Audrey. "He's all ready for you. Third floor, office 2A. It's on the right" she explained, and they quickly set out for the elevator.

"So far, so good. Still doubting my skills?" Mello asked when the elevator doors closed, leaving just the two of them in the small room. Audrey sighed and ignored him, choosing to focus on the blinking numbers as they neared the third floor. _This is good_, she thought, _being annoyed with him is keeping me from handling him with kid gloves. I just gotta keep focused_. The door let out a 'ding' as it reached their floor, but Mello put an arm out in front of her as she prepared to step out. "Remember, let me do the talking" he stated, Audrey rolled her eyes at him before shoving his arm away and walking briskly out the elevator.

They silently made their way to office 2A, where a closed door greeted them. Mello gave two short knocks and was met with a "Come in". The voice sounded strong and confident, and as Mello opened the door, it was apparent that it fit with the man behind it. A handsome, buff black man looked up and smiled at the two of them from behind his large oak desk fraught with papers. He stood, extending a hand to Mello as he looked both of them over "You must be the FBI agents, I'm sergeant major Mathers" he stated, shaking first Mello's hand and then Audrey's.

"I'm agent Slaton, and this is my associate agent McKinnley" Mello stated, gesturing to Audrey as he spoke. "I trust everything is ready for us?" Mello asked. Mathers gave a nod before turning to his coat rack to retrieve his uniform hat.

"Yes, everything has been looked over by our engineers and should be in perfect working order, but I'm sure you'd rather see for yourself. So let's head on out to the graveyard" the sergeant major stated, opening the door for Audrey, a begrudging Mello following. They began walking the long corridor as Mathers struck up more conversation. "You know it's a strange thing that you two are picking this up at night, we usually get a request for more than one at a time too. But I suppose you can't tell me anything about that…" He said.

Audrey spoke up quickly. "This whole operation is highly classified" she bluffed as they came to a metal door. As Mathers fiddled with the door, Mello gave Audrey a dark look that seemed to shout 'I told you that I would do the talking, idiot!'. Audrey frowned at him, she was only helping after all. Mathers swiped his ID card and swung the door open, revealing the inside of a busy massive hanger. The group began their decent by way of the metal catwalk and staircases.

"I expected such, you FBI types are always 'it's classified this, top secret that'" Mathers stated in response to Audrey. "Either way, I'm sure you will find our equipment highly satisfactory. Given that everything in the graveyard is maintained, if need be assembled in a matter of hours, the missile you want is in great condition" Mathers boasted as they reached the hanger floor. Suddenly, the lighthearted man was stone as he stopped a passing private. "Davis, get me a tram" Mathers ordered, and the private saluted before scurrying away in fear.

"When we do reach the missile, it's still protocol that I check it out" Mello stated briskly.

Audrey cut in, just to spite Mello. "Although, we certainly trust your word, Sergeant Major" she said warmly with a small smile and batting of her eyes, something that Mathers smiled at immediately.

"I was starting to think you were a mute, Mckinnley. You've hardly said a sentence." Mathers said with a chuckle. "And you may call me Daniel" He finished with a grin.

Audrey smiled at Daniel and snuck a slide glance at Mello. Few things displayed his emotions as he desperately tried to keep his anger in check; but his clenched teeth and glaring eyes gave away that he was definitely steamed at her innocent flirting. _Well, if he wanted me to be sexy for the Sergeant Major, then he's got it,_ she thought wickedly. "Well, in that case, feel free to call me Rebecca" she said with a sweet smile at Daniel, thankfully remembering the first name on her badge.

"oh, and here we are with the tram" Daniel said as the private appeared in the vehicle before hopping out of the seat and saluting. Daniel gestured for Audrey to take the front seat before turning to dismiss the private and climbing in the drivers seat. Mello slunk into the back seat, desperately fighting his urge to punch something.

"Rebecca is a beautiful name" Daniel stated as they began their drive through the massive graveyard of planes and trucks and other military equipment.

Audrey smiled at him "why thank you. You have quite a lovely name as well, am I right in thinking it means 'handsome'?" she asked coquettishly.

"Where exactly is this missile?" Mello interrupted suddenly, the grinding of his teeth evident in his speech. Audrey looked back at him and smirked to find him glaring with unmistakable rage at her. _This is why you don't tell me to shut up and let the men do the talking_, Audrey thought triumphantly, almost giggling at him before she turned around.

"Um, it should be just around this bend, Slaton. Give me about 7 more minutes and we'll be at it" Daniel said, clearly a tad annoyed, before glancing at Audrey to give her a smile. "now, I detect a twang in your voice, Rebecca, where are you from exactly?" he questioned smoothly.

Audrey grinned, proud of her Texan roots. "Born and raised in Texas, most beautiful place I can call home" she answered.

"No kidding? I wasn't born there, but I lived in Austin for a good heap of my life. Theirs some good people in Texas, if you're any testament to that" he said with a wink.

Audrey let out a short girlish chuckle, acting at its best. "You flatter me" she said with another bat of her eyelashes as they came to a stop. She stepped out and nearly laughed out loud when she saw Mello clutching the seat, glaring at her, before he got out as well.

"Now, the control panel's along this side right here. Mckinnley, allow me to show you to it" Daniel stated suavely before Mello swooped between them and clamped a hand on Audrey's arm.

"that won't be necessary, I've got it, _Daniel_" Mello said with obvious distaste before dragging Audrey along with him to the side panel. As soon as they were out of earshot, Mello was speaking in a hard voice; the one he used when he didn't want to yell but was clearly pissed. "what the fuck do you think you're doing over there, parading around like you're some fucking whore for him. Jesus, why don't you just shove your hand in his pants already?" Mello spat the words at her, while still sliding off the panel and checking the electronics of the missile.

She fought the urge to slap him. "don't you fucking call me a whore, you asshole! didn't you tell me at the suit shop that it should fit my curves so I could be some fucking eye candy? I'm jut doing what you asked! Or do I need permission to tell him my _fake_ name?" she said with a glare. Maybe she did go a bit too far with the handsome thing, but what gives him the right to call her names?

"I never asked you to try and sleep with him, _whore_" Mello stated. "and eye candy only fucking speaks when its spoken to" Mello finished, slamming the panel shut and striding back over to Daniel, Audrey fuming but having no choice but to follow him.

"everything checks out just fine" Mello stated, calmer than he had been before since he let off some steam at Audrey. Daniel was giving the two of them a strange look, but nodded.

"Should I arrange a truck to deliver it, or should I get you all a tow to attach it, or will someone else be picking it up?" Daniel enquired.

"Delivery will be fine, but I'm only entrusting you personally with the address. No one else is to know" Mello said, handing Daniel a small piece of paper that was in his suit pocket. "Please assure that it is delivered exactly on that date and time" Mello stressed, the date was three days before they actually needed it. They all returned to the tram to go back to the main building. The ride back was silent, Audrey would have spoken up, if she wasn't busy thinking of what she was going to say to Mello when they got back in the car.

Eventually, they returned to the building and Daniel walked them to the front doors accompanied by silence. He looked bewildered as Audrey gave him nothing other than a wordless handshake in Farwell. At that, Mello looked particularly smug, but Audrey waited until they walked through the large parking lot and got in the car until she smacked the smugness of his face with a sharp slap.

Mello didn't even let out a sound of surprise or pain as he was hit, but his eyes burned when he turned slowly back to face her. His cheek was already bright red from the force of her hand. "Did you just hit me?" Mello asked coldly, rhetorically, in a way that made her shiver. She was determined not to let the furiousness fall from her face, for him to see a weakness in her, for him to see she was scared at that moment. "Did you just fucking hit me?" he repeated, yelling this time.

He lurched forward in the seat, instantly trapping her between him and the car door and holding her arms in his vice-like hands against the glass of the window. His eyes were making her stomach turn, but oddly enough, not in a bad way-and that was enough to make her scowl harder at him. Their close proximity wasn't helping her reaction, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. "Fuck you, asshole… No one calls me a damn whore" she stated, her voice out of breath but still furious after she'd re-doubled her resolve to hide the feelings churning in her stomach. The tension was tearing her apart, whatever he was going to do, why hadn't he already?

"you're mine" he stated, in his quietly enraged tone. "I'm your boss, and if you act like a whore, then I'm going to call you one" he said before pausing. "If I wanted someone to sell sex in there, I would have gotten one of the prostitutes. You just look damn good in a suit" he stated, suddenly retreating to his side of the car in one smooth movement and leaving her to slump back into her seat. It had stopped all too soon in her opinion, and her head swam in confusion. _Did he just compliment me? Did I just loose a fight? Why do I want him back, trapping me like that again? _Audrey thought, deciding she needed some definite sleep tonight.

The ride back to the headquarters was filled with more silence, and she hopped on her bike immediately once they arrived, Mello doing nothing to stop her as she zoomed out of the parking garage. _"You're mine"_, his words repeating in her thoughts. Why did her heart start racing at that? _"You're mine"_, she thought again, _He said it in an 'I'm your boss, I own you' way …hadn't he? _She shook her head, an action that almost caused her to absently turn into the lane beside her, where she would have been hit by the large SUV that was honking at her now. She flipped off the driver without a second thought. _"You're mine" The way he said it, the way he'd been trapping me, it was almost… _She ran a red light, shocking herself back to her senses at the many loud horns that blared at her, although none of the cars hit her as she weaved around them. Thankfully, she was turning into the alley next to her apartment where she parked her bike, so she didn't have to worry about almost having another crash. Her head was so far in the clouds she could probably see angels if she squinted.

She climbed up the fire escape, in order to get to her room quicker. _"You're mine" _the nagging Mello-like voice in the back of her mind repeated again. _The way he said it, it was…_ "sexy" she finished out loud, about to turn open her door when she froze. _What the hell did I just say?_ She thought in shock, reminded of how she'd considered Mello's attractiveness the night before. "he is my boss, he is my boss, he is my damn **boss" she repeated aloud like a mantra, kicking open her door and slamming it shut before stomping over to her kitchenette.**

**She rummaged through the cabinets before she found a bottle of vodka, twisting off the cap and taking two big gulps. Her thoughts far to jumbled to concentrate on anything, she drank until her mind stopped humming with the semblance of stupid thoughts about her hot boss. After she was a quarter-through the bottle, she stumbled to her bed and stripped before falling into the mattress. The sleep she found there was quick and welcome, for once, she didn't want to think.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Once again, thanks for all the reviews guys! Keep 'em coming, and i hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Luv, Cart**

**BAM BAM BAM**

It took Audrey a moment to realize the pounding waking her up wasn't her head. She turned over with an irritable groan to clumsily grab her phone and check the time: 6:00, early for work to start. Something was up.

"Audrey, I swear to god if you don't open this damn door I'm going to shoot it down" She recognized Mello's voice through the door and rolled her eyes. She briefly wondered why the hell he'd come here to get her, but a large alert on her phone soon made it apparent. 5 missed calls, 4 new texts. She snapped her phone shut.

It was too early for this. "It's open, you idiot" she grumbled back. Her head was throbbing, most likely she was dehydrated and the liquor last night hadn't helped at all. Not to mention she slept like a log when she had a headache. Missing all the boss's tries to reach her was not a very professional start to the day. She sat up against her pillow, clutching her warm sheet against her as Mello slammed open the door in the violent way he always does.

"I have some issue with the Yagami girl in holdi-" Mello began, but stopped, staring at her.

Audrey glared back, rubbing her aching head with a sigh. "What?" she asked sharply, certainly not in the mood to get anymore of the talk he gave her last night-because he was making that same goddamn face at her that he had then.

There was a few seconds of silence before a smug-looking smirk settled over his face. "Audrey, are you… _naked_?" he asked slowly.

She looked down at the pale blue sheet. It clung to most of her body, outlining her curves, and made it obvious that she was rather chilly at the moment. Her face snapped back up to give him a dirty glare, her cheeks a dark red shade that almost rivaled her hair. "STOP LOOKING, YOU FUCKING PERVERT!" she screeched, throwing her pillow at his face as hard as she could before clutching the sheets around her up to her chin.

Mello let out a sound of annoyance as the pillow hit him before he threw it right back at her. "YEAH RIGHT! YOU FUCKING WISH!" he yelled in return. Another pillow, followed quickly by an empty bottle, was fired in his direction again.

"THEN COVER YOUR DAMN EYES, FUCKING CREEPER!" she ordered. Mello just narrowly managing to dodge the bottle, and it shattered against the wall. Remains of old beer slid down the peeling wallpaper.

Mello was coving his eyes with his hands now, despite the fact he was still yelling. "YOU'RE THE ONE THAT TOLD ME TO COME IN, EXHIBITIONIST!" She threw a stuffed hello kitty at his head for the comment and he growled, turning angrily in the direction that he thought she was (which was completely wrong, since she had wrapped the sheet around her and headed for the closet.) "AND STOP THROWING STUFF AT ME!" he ordered, looking so ridiculous that Audrey couldn't help but start laughing. Mello angrily ripped his hands away and turned to glare at Audrey, now clothed in an oversized black t-shirt and short shorts.

She was doubled over from laughing so hard; her eyeliner smeared around her eyes, hair poofy from sleep and resembling a lions mane. It was pure Audrey; without her knife-hiding boots or her cold glare. Even though Mello had set out to yell at her again, he stopped and let a lopsided smirk take over his face. "Yeah, yeah, fucking hilarious. Keep it up, fire crotch, and I'll make you supervise Matt all day" Mello said, crossing his arms. She went silent immediately, her blush spreading to the tips of her ears.

"Don't call me that, blondie!" she said with a frown, smacking him in the shoulder. "And I would take that shut in over your trouble-making ass any day" she said jokingly before walking into her small kitchenette. She grabbed some aspirin from the cupboard and downed it quickly with a glass of water. Her headache had only gotten worse with the yelling, but as soon as she swallowed the pill the aching started to die down. She began gulping down the rest of the glass.

Mello's smirk widened as he leaned on the counter, watching her. "At least I'm not trying to get you to see me naked" he teased. She almost chocked on her water.

Audrey flipped him off, "in your wet dreams! I damned forgot, okay?" she declared, blushing lightly again before putting the glass in the sink and striding over to rummage through her closet again. "Let's just drop it. Tell me what's up" it was more of a demand than a question.

Mello slid off a pile of magazines and gun paraphernalia from the only chair in the apartment before sitting down. "The Yagami girl, we have her in holding but she's causing problems" Mello stated simply as Audrey picked out the clothes she was going to wear for work.

"Problems like what? Fighting with your other captives?" she asked sarcastically before hearing snickering from behind her. She turned to see Mello covering his mouth, pointing at the near shrine of hello kitty stuff by her bed. A clock, a calendar, 5 stuffed kittys, a bobble head, a folded-up comforter for colder nights, slippers, a rug, a toaster… along with many other hello kitty items.

He picked up a nearby hello kitty pair of headphones. "I-I had no idea you w-were so girly" Mello declared between laughter, making the blush on Audrey's face spring to life for the third time that morning. She turned her back on him, taking her bundle of clothes into the bathroom.

"I can still kick your ass, you jerk!" she countered feebly, not turning to give him another chance to see her red face before slamming the door behind her. There was silence except for Mello's chuckling and the shower turning on.

He stood, leaning against the wall casually. "The Yagami girl, she said she'd kill herself unless we got a girl to look after her" Mello yelled through the door so that Audrey could hear him over the water.

Audrey sighed, rinsing the shampoo out of her thick hair. "No one's been… doing anything to her, right?" she asked cautiously. None of the gang's men would do that, she knew, but Audrey knew nothing of how Mello's men conducted themselves.

The blonde's indignant snort was so loud she heard it through the door. "Not anyone under my command, that's for damn sure. I wouldn't let anyone ruin my bargaining chip." he paused, "No, I think she's just smart enough to realize how much we need her; so she's making demands. It's not like we gave her any weapons, but I don't know if she's above strangling herself to death with her restraints" Mello finished.

There was nothing but the sounds of squeaking and clanking as the water turned off and the shower curtain was pulled back. "So what do you think her strategy is then? That a woman would take pity on her and try to help her escape?" Audrey asked, her voice echoing in the tiled tub as she dried herself off.

"I think she just wants to blubber her sob story," he stated, "and you have to sit there and listen" Mello finished.

She emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a dark green V-neck and black skinny jeans. "I thought I was supposed to be helping with the preparations, it's three days before the exchange. I should be meeting the missile shipment, not babysitting some kid" Audrey stated, disappointed. It was such a medial task, she couldn't help but feel like Mello was punishing her for yesterday.

Audrey rubbed her dripping hair with her towel furiously as she moved back to her closet to get her socks and boots. "I can handle the missile. It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order. And you should be happy to take it" Mello's voice was suddenly cold.

_Why does everything between us feel so bipolar lately? _Audrey thought, halting from putting on her other sock so that she could stare at him. He was observing the dying sunset through her sliding glass doors, his back to her. _He's an asshole, then he's laughing with me. He's ordering me around on jobs, then he's getting pissed at me flirting. He's pushing me up against car windows like he wants to…_ She stopped her thought right there_._

"Yes, boss" Audrey responded, turning to slip on her boots.

She left her bike behind and let Mello drive them both to headquarters in silence. Once there, Van took her down to the catacomb-like tunnels under the building while Mello went to take care of other things. Van was a tall, lanky man but had enough strength to knock out five even though he was pushing 45 years old. He also was a close friend of Audrey's dad, so she'd grown up knowing him as her uncle with a heart of gold. He was one of the few people Audrey had left that she could talk to, and trust, about anything.

"So…" Van started, using the flashlight in his hand to navigate them through the long tunnel toward the room they were using to hold Yagami.

Audrey raised an eyebrow at him in the dim light, trying to remove herself from the thoughts about Mello that were jumping around in her head like rabbits. "So?" she asked, falling into step with the man as he slowed his long-legged strides.

"So, rumor is you have a thing for the boss" she nearly fell flat on her face as she stumbled from his words.

She kept her eyes firmly placed on the darkness in front of them. "That's goddamn ridiculous, Van. You're going old and crazy on me, aren't you?" she teased lightly.

Van chuckled. "No use denying it, Addie. A reliable little birdie heard you talking outside of your apartment last night and decided to clue me in" he stated and she cursed in her head. Her thoughts had been so jumbled that night. What had she said out loud?

"_Sexy… No. He is my boss, he is my boss, he is my damn boss" _Audrey blushed as she remembered,_ Oh. Right. _Audrey thought before cursing herself in her head again, _perfect. Good job, Audrey. You might as well tell everyone in the gang. _She congratulated herself sarcastically.

"It was Clem, wasn't it?" She didn't wait for an answer. "The dirty… you old bastards are worse than gray-haired ladies with your gossip. Theirs not a snowball's chance in hell I would ever find that obnoxious pretty boy remotely attractive" she declared adamantly. What was the first tip about lying that her dad had taught her? Deny, deny, deny.

He simply sighed, in a 'I'm getting too old for this' way. "Look, I don't care who is or isn't your cup of tea" Van stated, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking further. "But, if you did happen to have some sort of feelings for the kid; you better crush them now. The facts are that he's the damn boss, Addie. Messing around with him can only bring trouble or pain to one of you. If what happened to your daddy didn't teach you that-" he stopped as Audrey yanked her shoulder away from him, his hand falling to his side uselessly.

"I've learned from daddy's mistakes, Van" she said bitterly. "I'm not a little kid anymore, I can manage myself just fine. 'Feelings' included." Audrey finished coldly.

Van rubbed a hand over his face, letting out another sigh. "I know. I just promised your dad I'd look after you, kiddo" he paused as her face softened, she averted her eyes from him. "I hardly have to, though, you've become a pretty strong little spitfire" he teased, nudging her with his arm and getting her to chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up you old coot" she said with a smile, pushing his arm away playfully. "Now, lets get to Yagami before she croaks of natural causes" Audrey said, starting to walk again. _He's right, _she thought, _I can't think of Mello that way. But I don't even know if I have feelings for him like that, I mean he's hot, but… Still, I can't. Look where 'feelings' got daddy…_

Audrey sighed when they reached the large metal door that held the Yagami girl within. In the old days, the room had been used as a bomb shelter, so there was 10 feet of concrete and metal beams between anyone and their escape. The large metal door would be considerably easier to get out of, had it not been rigged to open only from the outside.

"Don't worry" Van said, giving her a wink. "I'll keep a careful watch out here. Just knock and I'll open it up" he finished, patting her on the back reassuringly before turning the crank to open the door. She stepped inside hesitantly, the room was dimly lit and smelled faintly of bleach, but she held her confidence as the door clanged shut behind her.

She spotted the Japanese girl against the wall, chains around her wrists keeping her from moving more than a five-foot radius. There were three things Audrey noticed about the room now that she was inside; the bleach smell was from the poorly- cleaned blood spots and splatters in the room, Yagami hadn't been eating her food and drank very little water, and the room was equipped with many cameras and mics.

"I've been requested to accompany you for awhile" Audrey stated, business-like. The girl simply stared at her. Slowly, Audrey made her way inside the girls radius to take a wooden chair from the small table allowed her. She made sure she dragged the chair out of Yagami's range before she sat down. "Can you tell me why you requested a woman be with you? Were you mistreated in any way?" Audrey asked.

The girl came alive with a ferocious glare. "I was kidnapped!" she wailed indignantly.

Audrey sighed, that wasn't the kind of mistreatment she meant. "Yes. But, besides that darlin" she said as if it were obvious.

"I didn't want to talk to any of them, they were too scary" the girl's voice cracked, as if she was fighting back tears. "I just want to know what's going on. You kidnapped me because of my dad, didn't you? Because you're Kira supporters?" at the last sentence her voice went up an octave, a sign of panic rising.

Audrey spoke evenly, calmly. "We are not Kira supporters. We aren't bad people. We kidnapped you in order to get the notebook, so yes, it is partially because of your father" she paused. "We do not want to hurt you. It would be in everyone's best interest if the trade went through smoothly. The more you try to fight, or make demands, the more you screw up the plan and increase everyone's chances of dying" Audrey finished.

The girl was silent and motionless for a few minutes before she slowly nodded in understanding. "Ah" Audrey said, "So we're clear? Because I really cant be sitting here right now. I have a much more important job to follow through" she paused and gave the girl a comforting smile. "A job that will ensure your safety. I just need one thing before I leave…"

"What?" the girl asked, a tad fearfully.

"I need your word that you will do as we say. If you follow our plan, no one will get hurt" Audrey said, slowly and carefully. He girl's expression was transparent, Audrey's talk was working. Yagami was starting to trust her.

"…okay…" the girl said quietly, nodding slightly to confirm.

Audrey stood, leaving the chair and walking to the door before knocking on it. As an afterthought, she turned back to Yagami "When you return home, you and your mother should go on vacation… separate yourselves for awhile" she stated. "Even people you love can betray you. I'm only cautioning you, should the stakes rise in the future and they lose their willingness to trade" she finished quietly before Van opened the door and she slipped out.

"How was it?" Van asked, double checking that the door locked behind her.

Audrey shrugged, putting her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. "Easy as hell. Young girls give trust out without a second thought" she stated, staring off into the distance of the dark tunnel.

"…And how are you?" he questioned, concern in his voice.

She shrugged again. "Just feeling a bit guilty, telling her things I don't know" Audrey said and Van put a hand on her shoulder before they started back down the tunnel. There was a long silence before she spoke again. "We should save up enough to visit daddy sometime, I could use a vacation" she said quietly.

Van patted her on the back. "You know you can't see him, Addie" he stated, and Audrey sighed.

"Yeah, I know"

Audrey wandered around the headquarters aimlessly, looking for Mello even though she knew he'd gone off to meet the missile shipment. Maybe he was back by now. She was about to walk past the kitchen before she froze at a voice.

"I just feel like I'm getting distracted" It was Mello. "and that's frustrating. It's never happened before" Audrey knew she was being nosy, that she should just go in and tell him she was looking for him to get her next assignment, but something rooted her to the floor.

Another voice sighed. "Dude, things are still going great. The plan and everything. I think your just worrying over nothing" she couldn't be sure because she'd seldom been around the fellow redhead, but it sounded like Matt. "besides, its just a girl, man. Its not like she's your fucking archenemy or something" Her curiosity increased tenfold at Matt's words. So they were talking about a girl? Mello was interested in a girl?

"My point is, the last thing I could use is distraction right now" Mello stated flatly.

Matt sighed "She's just another girl, dude. Get with her and get her out of your head. It's as simple as that, man" Matt paused. "Wait, do you… like her?" he questioned.

"No I don't fucking like her!" Mello snapped. "But I don't think I can just sleep with her and be done with it. Something about her sticks; she's smart and quick and tough and different… Besides She's fearless enough that she'd probably kill me if I tried" Mello finished as Matt started laughing. "What the hell are you laughing at?" Mello demanded, his annoyance coming through in his voice.

"You so like her!" Matt exclaimed, still chuckling. "Mello and-" Matt began in singsong, but a sharp smack cut him off. Even Audrey winced, that sounded painful, but Matt just laughed. "Fine, fine. I won't give you my advice then!" Matt said teasingly.

Mello snorted "Oh, like you're the relationship guru" Mello stated, you could taste the sarcasm. The conversation faded as the two of them left the room through the opposite door Audrey was eavesdropping on, they were probably headed to the control room so Matt could set everything up for the plan.

Audrey leaned against the wall before slowly sliding down it so she could sit. _Mello likes a girl…_ Audrey thought, _A girl that, frankly let's be honest, sounds like me. _She blushed at her own thought. She wasn't crazy in her conclusion, right? Smart, quick, tough, fearless-those were basically the defining words of Audrey. _No, no, no, no_, She thought to herself as she shook her head, _Theirs no way he means me. No way. _She was suddenly wishing that she'd never heard the boy's conversation. The last thing she needed was more thoughts about Mello to occupy her time.

_But, what if he does like me? _She frowned at herself before sighing and running a hand through her hair. _God dammit._


	9. Chapter 9

Today was the big day, but Audrey hardly felt ready. For three days she'd been staying at headquarters in order to help make sure everything was going according to plan, and that meant a lot of little to no sleep. Not that she could have slept anyway, thoughts of Mello were always buzzing around in her head, and that made her brain too occupied to doze off. It was torturous, her thoughts always drifting off to him, so to compensate Audrey'd been avoiding Mello as much as possible. Not that it was working, but still "out of sight, out of mind" was what she kept telling herself.

"Hey, Adds!" Matt said excitedly as he stuck his head in the lounge room where all the equipment for the day was set up.

Audrey crawled out from under the table where she'd been repairing the electrical strip with tape. "Huh? Oh, what's up, Matty?" she asked curiously as she stood and dusted off her pants. Since she'd been ignoring the blonde, her and Matt had more opportunities to talk, and she'd discovered he was actually a pretty cool guy. Far more laid back then Mello, and with a whole lot less ambition, but cool none-the-less. At least he used her nickname, anyway.

Matt bounded over to her, for once his DS was stashed in his pocket instead of his hands. "Mello told me to go down and get Yagami, you wanna come and say some last words before I hand her off to Van and Frank?" He asked eagerly, she could tell he was just looking for some company.

Audrey looked around at the computers and TVs' set up in the room. "Sure, why not? I think I've done all I can to make sure the room is perfect" She said before yawning. Matt grinned and gestured her to go through the door first, bowing mockingly. She chuckled at him "oh, your too kind" she stated sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

"So, are you excited for tonight?" Matt asked, making conversation as he strode beside her down the hall.

Audrey shrugged "not particularly. I am excited to see if it will go well with all the hard work we put into it" she said.

Matt raised an eyebrow at her. "Hmm, so you really are just following Mell's orders then…" he stated. "Does this mean you aren't going to fight what he says anymore?" he asked curiously.

"Well of course not," Audrey snapped her mouth shut quickly, _Matt could report back to Mello whatever I say_, "I-I mean, it depends." She said haughtily, _Mello certainly doesn't need to know how content I am to let him pull the reigns.._. "But, I do think he isn't such a bad leader, like I thought he was before." Audrey said.

Matt was smiling at her. "Aww, you have a soft spot after all" he said, smile growing as he nudged her with his elbow.

Audrey glared at him. "What?"

Matt looked up at the ceiling and away from her glare, but he was still grinning none-the-less. "Nothing, nothing" he said innocently. "But anyway, you and me are two peas in a pod" he said, patting her on the back. "I'm glad we get to hang out, now I can tell Mello I approve" Matt said with a smile.

Audrey blushed lightly in spite of herself. "What do you mean? Approve of what?" _Approve of him liking me?_ She kept that last question in her thoughts.

"Oh, you know, how you're Mell's right hand man…err, girl, too." Matt stated nonchalantly, eyeing her blush happily. "We're like two pistols at Mello's sides" he went on, eyeing her reaction.

"Right, yeah, of course" She said with a nod, turning the corner in the hall.

"Adds?" She turned back to face him. "um, the door to the basement is right here" Matt said, opening said door and chuckling as she blushed and doubled back to follow him through it.

It had all come together perfectly. Sayu had been complacent after her talk with Audrey, Frank was in position for the exchange, the missle and helicopter were rigged up and good to go, and Mello's mike was ready to give Frank orders. They had completed kidnappings before, so at least the gang had somewhat experience, although it had never been this elaborate of an exchange. For example, Mello hadn't informed Audrey of the plane hijacking. However, since none of her men were involved, Audrey could really care less.

Most of Mello's crew, along with a few choices from sector 1, were in the lounge. All of them were glued to the TV displaying the handoff. Audrey almost felt like she was watching a movie, instead of crowding around a screen to watch Mello win or lose. Never in Audrey's career had things felt as unreal as they did now. The people standing in the desert silo were more like chess pieces than flesh and blood.

As she watched the chief enter the silo, the couch began to feel increasingly comfy and she cursed herself internally as she yawned. Falling asleep now, of all times, would be annoying if not embarrassing. But still, she couldn't help the sandman tugging at her eyelids. Audrey yawned again. She had a feeling Mello was starting to get annoyed by this, since he was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't a hard feat, since they were sitting beside each other on the lounge's couch.

"Alright Y462, proceed" Mello ordered over the mike after Frank explained the rules to the chief. As soon as the blonde finished talking, Audrey let out another yawn before folding her legs up on the couch and propping her face up with her hand. She tried to keep her eyes open, but before she knew it Audrey's head had lolled to the side, resting on Mello's shoulder. She was out cold. It was hard to believe that, at the most exciting of times, the lack of sleep from planning the whole event had done her in. however, the plan went by without a hitch and the notebook was attained; all without stirring her.

The only thing that did wake Audrey up was many hours later, and it was screaming—coming from the lounge.

Audrey jolted upright and awake from a bed she knew immediately to be in the HQ. The same person that had placed her there hadn't changed her clothes from the previous day (which was a typical skinny-jeaned all black ensemble), and she certainly didn't bother with her wild tangled hair or her smudged eyeliner. The first thing she did was grab the gun from her jacket hanging on the room's doorknob and sprint barefoot down the short hall. She burst through the lounge door with such suddenness that another surprised scream, from more than one person, resounded at her presence.

"Whatisit? Everyoneokay?" she asked unintelligibly through deep breaths as she looked around the room. Everything was in order except-**RATTARATTARATTA**-bullet holes riddled the door she just burst through and the sudden rapid gunfire nearly gave her a heart attack. Good thing she was practically wired from birth to hit the deck. "What in the seven hissing rattlers do y'all think you're DOING?" she fumed at the group, which consisted of Mello and his cohorts aside from Tito and Van.

"Heh, sorry Adds, I thought you were another one of… them" Van said lamely and she rose her eyebrows in confusion.

However odd, Van's words still didn't quell her anger. "Explain, before I shoot all of y'alls heads off!" she demanded, eyeing the group. They were certainly acting strange; all of them were pale as ghosts and the powerful Tito was shaking like a leaf.

"Calm down, and touch this" Mello stated, holding the notebook out to her.

"Oh, so the plan worked? We got it?" she asked, her face lighting up as her fingertips came in contact with the rough cover of the book.

"All you humans look the same, I don't understand Jealous at all" a voice remarked from behind her and she turned her head before letting out a girly shriek and stepping back quickly, falling over the arm of the couch in her panic as she shot rapidly at the thing. Audrey landed in Mello's lap, still holding the gun and pulling the trigger, although all it produced was a clicking sound since she'd just emptied a round into the wall. She stopped firing, gripping the gun in one hand and the notebook in the other before she propped herself up with her elbows to once again stare at the creepy figure.

She fought to form words, her voice weak and shaking. "W-w-what i-i-is t-that?" she stuttered. Audrey skittered back as far as she could, pressing her back against Mello's chest, as the thing reached out a hand to wave in her face.

"So, all of you can see me now then?" the thing asked rhetorically, continuing when no one answered in the shocked silence. "I am a shinigami. And that is my notebook" the thing said, reaching out towards Audrey. She whimpered, dropping the notebook and her gun as she pulled her feet away from almost touching the shinigami. she was completely curled against Mello now.

The thing took a bar of Mello's chocolate off the table, and whereas Mello would normally freak and start yelling, he didn't even flinch. Instead, Mello took his own chocolate away from his lips as he watched the shinigami eat some itself. The thing kept talking, explaining some rules, but Audrey was paying no attention and only watched it eat. The sight was so unsettling she was definitely going to have to force off chocolate/food for awhile.

"Everyone, leave us alone with this shinigami" Mello ordered, and the men kept their eyes on the thing as they made a big circle around it to get to the door and happily rush out. "Do you… do you have a name?" Mello questioned slowly and the thing stepped forwards, making Audrey press against Mello again and tightly clutch the couch like a frightened kitten.

The shinigami looked at her, and she could feel her heart race and thump violently as its eyes fixed above her head. "Why are you so scared? You're death is still far off from now" it said. Audrey might have thought it was a scary Halloween costume, if it weren't for its blinking eyes and moving limbs. It made a chill run down her spine to know it was real.

Audrey swallowed hard to keep from whimpering. "H-h-how d-do you know?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking and her eyes wide.

"I can see it floating right above your little head" it retorted, almost in a happy tone as he seemed to trace numbers in the air, and Audrey shivered violently. She nearly jumped off the couch in surprise as Mello placed his arms around her shoulders comfortingly. Audrey would have looked at the blondes face questionably in any other circumstance, but now she was focused on the terror in front of her.

"So, you haven't come here to kill us?" Mello questioned and the thing seemed to laugh… or what Audrey presumed to be a laugh, although it sounded more like scratchy sandpaper rubbing together. It made her shiver again; Mello's arms squeezed tighter.

"No. I cannot kill you unless it is your time. Another shinigami dropped my notebook into the human world, so I came here to find it. And I did." the thing stated. "My name is Shido, pleasure to make your acquaintance I'm sure" he added thoughtfully, stretching out a hand to Mello which made Audrey turn and hide her face in Mello's chest as the thing's arm reached over her.

"Mello" he simply offered as he attempted to shake, but found it awkward since his hand slid right through the shinigami.

"You should tell your friend there not to be so rude, I am hardly that scary" Shido said, somewhat sounding offended. Despite it's words, Audrey refused to move from her face-hiding position.

Mello was still staring at the shinigami, as if he was afraid he'd blink and it would disappear. "Audrey" he said quietly, attempting a comforting tone as he ran a hand though her hair, hoping to get her to turn around and greet Shido properly. If Shido was offended, who knows what it would do.

"Is it gone?" Came the muffled, cautious reply from underneath her curtain of curls. "I don't want to look till it's gone!" Audrey exclaimed, surprising Mello at her emotional and childish response.

"Shido, make yourself useful and watch for intruders outside, got it?" He seemed almost reluctant to give it orders, although his voice never faltered. "It will be very convenient for us that most humans can't see you" Mello explained as the shinigami huffed and withdrew wings from itself with a whooshing sound.

"Humans have no manners, steal my notebook and then order me around…" the shinigami muttered as it began to flap its wings. A few more flaps and, just like that, Shido disappeared through the roof.

A long silence overtook the room. "Is it gone now?" was the pitiful, quiet question from the girl crumpled into his chest.

Mello looked down, still somewhat shocked at her whole reaction—_apparently, there are some things even mafia members can't be tough enough for_, He thought, leaving her question unanswered. Mello rested his gloved hand on her head, absent-mindedly petting down the wild curls that made up her hair as he sat back and thought about what had just happened. _The two fake rules…_

Very slowly Audrey began to lift her head up, turning her face and peaking over Mello's arm cautiously. The only thing in her life she had ever thanked god for, was not seeing the shinigami standing there in the lounge. She sighed in relief and relaxed against Mello's body, allowing herself to rest her head on his chest and unclench her fists. She closed her eyes, feeling all the tenseness caused by the shinigami evaporate as one of Mello's hands dipped down to rub her back. It was only when she sighed in contentment, that Audrey realized what she'd been doing.

She shoved herself up quickly from their nearly intimate position, only to almost awkwardly run into his face with her own. "S-sorry Boss!" she stammered, backing away from him on the couch as quick as she could. "I apologize for that, I-I didn't mean to just jump all over you, I was just scared and I…" she continued to blather as she reversed far enough to hit the other arm of the couch with her back. _What on earth was I thinking? _She thought, mentally cursing herself, _He is my boss, he is my boss, he is my boss, he is my-_she repeated what had become her regular mantra lately.

Mello crawled forward, advancing on her like a hunter would its prey. "Sorry?" he questioned with a certain glint in his eye. _He's got that same look as the time in the escalade, when we were getting the missile, when he… he isn't… going to hit me… is he?_, she thought frantically, _Oh god, what if he punishes me for that?_ He had reached her now, towering over her on the couch. Mello lifted a hand; Audrey flinched and turned away, closing her eyes tightly. "Why do you assume I'm going to hit you?" he questioned, somewhat annoyed. But before she had the chance to give him a reply, he had grasped her chin. She opened her eyes in confusion, only to flutter them closed as his lips met hers.

Her mouth went slack in total awe. His lips were rough, but also slow and tender. They tasted of some expensive Swiss chocolate, and as they moved against hers she felt breathless. Something changed in that moment. He wasn't the boss, or someone to fight against, or a reminder of her father's failure; he was simply Mello.

But it was over before she could do anything, aside from sit there dumbstruck, that is. Her brain worked frantically to regain its normal functions as Mello leaned back to stare at her. When she looked up into his icy blue eyes, it was evident he was watching for some sort of reaction. She looked quickly at the couch so the intenseness of his gaze wouldn't send a shiver down her spine. _Breathe!_ Her brain told her, and she did. _Now say something, stupid! _Her eyes darted back up to Mello's, and she noticed he was looking more and more unsure of himself by the second.

"I-" Audrey began, but Mello was already standing. The space beside her felt cold.

"Stupid" he scolded as he shook his head. He didn't give her one glance as he stomped out of the room, roughly slamming the door behind himself. The sounds of fading angry footsteps and shattering glassware told Audrey that he'd stormed off to his room.

_Should I go after him? _Thought Audrey, _or is it for the best?_

In a room across the headquarters, Mello also had thoughts brewing. _It wont be long before I can beat Kira. And Near. I can wait. Then, I can have anything I want. Then, I can have her._


	10. Chapter 10

Days go by that he doesn't speak to her at all, Mello is very busy now that he has the notebook after all. So Audrey hangs about the headquarters like a ghost, lost without a mission. She's never felt more useless. It's a Tuesday the following week when Mello finally does say something, it's an order, and he doesn't even bother to look at her as he says it.

She hates that he's holding her at arms length, and she hates that she's too damn stubborn and proud for her own good to do anything about it, and she hates more than anything that it actually hurts. An interest in the body of another individual was common, even praised in the mafia, but having _feelings? _As far as feelings were concerned, anything aside from anger was surgically removed the minute you stepped through the door of the headquarters. And all her years climbing up the ladder made Audrey _steel_. But Mello, that damn pretty-boy blonde prissy genius bastard, had changed everything. He'd waltzed in and taken control over her mafia, and now her damn _feelings_. But she cant confront him about it, oh no, because that would mean admitting she actually has _feelings_ for the surly idiot.

_Daddy was right, attraction is like a bear trap; you wont be able to get out unless you bite your arm off._

Currently, Audrey was just getting back from the sector meeting. She'd been ordered to take notes and report back on the progress, since Mello had gotten bored with the meetings long ago. It certainly made the sector head's opinion of Mello dampen, but Audrey couldn't care in the slightest. She was stomping down the hall, papers a mess in her hands, as she made a beeline for Matt's control room. The once empty room at the top of the stairs was now filled with tons of Matt's technical mumbo-jumbo and lately Mello could usually be found there, glued to the screens with Matt. Churning up information of some sort.

Audrey knocked on the large metal door loudly. "Open up, I have the reports to go over" she yelled through the door, the sound of footsteps behind it before it slid open.

"Hey, Adds!" Matt greeted eagerly, ushering her into the room. "What's the table been talking about today?" He enquired, by table he meant the sector heads.

Audrey sighed tiredly, "Oh, this and that. Our numbers are steadily dwindling. Most suspect it's due to Kira's influence" she said, sneaking a side glance at Mello to see if she'd caught his interest. Nothing. She sighs again before sliding a pile of technical crap off the sofa to take a seat.

"Whoa, be careful! That's my new copy of crimson slayer 300!" Matt exclaimed, diving for a cheap plastic CD case among the wires and unfamiliar metal boxes. "I had to go across three servers to get this! It's only out in Japan, you know"

Audrey gave him a blank look "Sorry" she offered, not even bothering to fake sincerity. Faking was straining with all the turmoil inside her. "Thought you were going back to Japan tonight anyway?"

Matt rolled his eyes at her. "In two hours. But that's not the point"

Audrey shook her head at him before she decided to get back to business. "Okay, so the new reports are worse than an angry bull. I'm just gunna say that outright" Audrey stated, shuffling out her papers in her lap.

Matt was clearing a space beside her on the couch, already pulling out his DS. The redhead wasn't even going to feign interest in the reports, but this was how it'd been going the last few weeks. Audrey would read the reports to Mello, who'd be staring at the screens, and Matt would sit there and pretend to listen because then it was like she was actually talking to someone.

"Gambling, drugs, and prostitution have all been tanking. Although Sadie says she's going to try out some new bits of town to see if she cant peak some interest, but Clem thinks theirs just no hope for gambling. The casino's gunna close within a month" Audrey stated, glancing up from her notes to look at Mello. He was facing front rigidly, he could be a statue if it weren't for the chocolate bar he was munching on.

Audrey frowned and focused on the report again. "Skinny Pete nearly got picked up when he started selling around schools…" she trailed off, looking back up at the blonde again. She could feel her anger welling to the surface; she was loosing sleep and getting passed up on important jobs all because of him. Now her head was stinging with the threat of a migraine, and her heart was this aching lump in her chest, and she was just so damn _tired_. Tired of stupid tasks, tired of not being involved, and tired of sitting up all night in her tiny shitty apartment hurting over someone that she just wanted to sock in the damn stomach. She could cry, she was so tired.

That's why, when the words come out of her mouth harsher than she intended too (although she didn't intend to say them at all), she pushes on. "Jesus Christ, are you even going to fucking look at me when I'm talking to you?" Audrey says, sounding exasperated and angry as she glares at Mello's back.

He doesn't say anything, doesn't even move the chocolate at his lips. Matt's looked up from his game and is giving her this stare like she just pulled the pin from a hand grenade. But Audrey doesn't care about any of that, only the fact that Mello still hasn't turned around. "Audrey-" Matt says as she jumps up from the couch. The way he uses her full name emphasizes his warning, but she disregards it and takes a step toward Mello instead. Matt grabs her arm in a last attempt, Audrey simply shakes it off and marches right up to the blonde.

"You're a selfish son of a bitch, do you know that?" She thunders at him, he doesn't bat an eye. She slams her hand down on the table holding different keyboards and mics and blank CDs and wires that go to something she couldn't give half a shit about right now. "Do you even fucking care?" She meant to scream it, but it just comes out sounding defeated instead of enraged. His eyes flicker to her finally, and she falters at the suddenness of his focus. It takes her a moment to charge on. "Do you care about this damn mafia?" _about me? _"Are we all just pawns in your stupid damn game?" _Don't I mean anything to you? _Audrey searches his eyes like he can understand what she's really trying to say.

His face is as unreadable as always, but a firmly placed coldness shrouds his expression. "You keep playing this game, but do you even realize what you're playing with here?" Audrey says, desperately looking for a hint of emotion in Mello, but she finds nothing. Suddenly, her chest contracts and she feels like she's going to cry. Audrey puts a hand on her temple and swallows it down instead, composes herself before she looks at him again._ I just want some acknowledgement that I'm not going crazy, that he feels that… __**thing**__ between us too. And how could he not? Didn't __**he**__ kiss __**me**__? Maybe I'm being too emotional, or too irrational… _Audrey buried that last thought, if she rationalized this now she'd lose her nerve. And she needed answers while she still had the willpower to ask questions. All that mattered at the moment was that Mello needed to just_ say something, dammit!_

"Audrey, I don't have time for this. I don't have time for you right now. Are you forgetting that I'm the Boss here?" Mello's expression is one of indifference. Audrey raises a hand to hit him only to realize she's still holding the reports, so she throws the stack of papers at him instead. They rain down around him and scatter under the table and into the corner of the room without actually touching him.

She can plainly see the underlying meaning in his words. _He doesn't care, he doesn't want me, all he's ever wanted was the mafia. Power to do what he needs_… She thinks, and it makes her chest ache. "You know what, you win!" she's shouting again. "You fucking win, are you happy? I'm tired of fighting you, I'm tired of this… this… whatever" _whatever we have._ "I'm leaving!" She yells, turning angrily on her heel. Matt is frozen on the sofa, a slack-jawed look on his face that tells Audrey he can read the lines between their conversation.

"Be happy for once, you've won Mello! You've driven me out of my home, so you can have it! It's what you've wanted in the first place!" Audrey yells as she storms across the room. Holding back the tears is making it hard to breathe, but she's too stubborn to break her yelling streak now. She turns back to Mello sharply, he's halfway out of his chair but gripping it like an anchor. "All you care about is yourself, that's all you've cared about from the start! You're a heartless bastard and I-" her voice falters, almost breaks, and she turns back to the door to hide the unwanted tears blooming on her face. She waits a few seconds until her voice is strong again, the hot tears making her feel stupid and small. "I made a mistake letting you come here" _letting you in my head,_ She finishes internally, and then Audrey's gone.

She doesn't know where she's going at first, she storms right out of headquarters and down the street before she realizes she left her Ducati in the garage and doubles back for it. It's about six hours from dawn, so their's hardly anyone on the streets; which gives her plenty of lanes to drift in and out of. Something about swerving with the twists and turns of the road begins to calm her. When she's done being angry and her tears are dry she comes to a stop and takes off her helmet.

Audrey takes one look at the building she's in front of and her heart leaps up into her throat. The apartment was condemned now, and probably should have been long ago when she lived in it with her father and mother. She looks around at the deserted street before getting off her bike and slipping between the gap in the gate of the chain-link fence. She wants to go inside, but the windows and doors are boarded up, so she settles for sitting on the stoop instead.

The last time Audrey had talked to her father was her 13th birthday, on a long-distance phone call. Mr. Farris had been the boss of the LA mafia, all those years ago. It was a position of power and influence and cruelty, but Audrey never remembered him as an unkind man. On the contrary, it was her mother that was always severe and full of shouting. Back then Audrey couldn't tell it was the beginning of a marriage falling apart, but it seemed so obvious now. It was a year after she'd started middle school that the betrayal happened. Mother went to the police, hiding behind their protection while she sold her husband out in court. He left before dawn, Audrey was to stay with Uncle Van. In order to stay with her real family, the mafia- rather than her mother, Audrey burned her real name and her connections to the outside world. At the same time, she burned her mother. The woman that looked vaguely like Audrey, living somewhere in the country under protective custody, was no longer any mother of hers.

All in all, it had taught her a lesson. One she considered the most valuable lesson she'd ever learned, the one she was breaking at that very moment. _Never get involved._ When things get tough, the first ties to snap are the ones made by intimacy. Family ties, her family, could get through anything together. She was born into the gun-toting family and gave them pure trust, so she was born as steel. But now with Mello, she was turning into some gooey mess; and trusting that was dangerous.

She jumped as her phone rang and shook her out of her reminiscing. The unusually cheerful beat emanating from the device puzzled her and Audrey almost laughed when she checked the caller ID to find it was Matt. She flipped the phone open "You sneaky bastard, how'd you manage to change the ringer without me noticing?" Audrey asked, sniffling and wiping her face almost as if he could see the state she was in; Mascara and eyeliner crusted on her cheeks.

"Well hello to you too" Matt said from the other end of the line, his tone amused at her reaction. "I just got through the airport security, I thought I'd check up on you. Mello's worried that you haven't come back yet, you know"

Audrey rolled her eyes at the phone. "He didn't say that"

Matt sighed "He didn't have too," Matt paused. "Look, I know it's really none of my business, but he's a good guy. Mello just… he takes his work very seriously, and-"

Audrey cut him off. "You don't have to make excuses for him, Matt"

"Let me finish!" The annoyance in his voice silenced her. Matt, perpetually lazy and uncaring Matt, was being serious. "I've grown up around the stupid git, and the only thing I've ever seen him give a shit about is being the best. It's made him angry and obsessed, that's who he is and always has been. But it's obvious he cares about something else now, maybe not the same, but he cares. No matter what he says, I know he cares about you. And I'm his brother, I _know_." Matt paused, "My point is; he's stubborn, he'll never give up until he gets Kira, but maybe he would for you" Audrey finds herself surprised by the jealousy she can barely catch in Matt's voice.

A long silence drew between them. "What do you expect me to say? I'd never tear him away from Kira, I just want…" she hesitates. "I don't know. I just want to hear it from him" Audrey says finally.

Matt lets out another long sigh "I know, I know. This is what I mean when I say he's a stupid git… and you're just as stubborn as he is, so today is as close as _you'll _ever come to saying it. Just don't give up on him yet, okay?"

Audrey chuckled in spite of herself. "Okay"

"Now, can you promise me you'll take care of him while I'm gone? The case is making me edgy lately, theirs always the possibility of something going bad... Try to keep him from getting in too much trouble, at least"

"Jesus, you really are his brother" Audrey joked, trying to ignore the shiver that settled over her at Matt's words.

Matt laughed, "Almost" he paused as an announcement muttered amongst the background noise. "That's my flight, I gotta go. Chin up, Adds"

"Good luck, Matty" She said before flipping the phone shut with a snap. At least Matt's talk had calmed her down a little. She knew Mello was too stubborn and determined to say anything outright just yet, but if she played the waiting game any longer Audrey swore she would punch a hole in the wall of her apartment.

Audrey exhaled a deep breath before getting up from the stoop and slipping back through the fence. It was with a peacefulness that she put on her helmet, re-mounted her bike, and roared off towards her empty apartment. Audrey wasn't going to give up by a long shot, not yet. Besides, she could never _really_ leave her family, her mafia. She just needed time, time to sleep and time to let the wound from her outburst heal. Maybe with enough time she would even get some patience to deal with Mello.

The first thing she'd resolved to do when she got to her place was to get some sleep somehow, but when she arrived she remembered just how much of a mess it was. Audrey hardly ever had time to clean, since she was on call pretty much 24/7. Perhaps she would have let the section 1 cleaners have at it, if it wasn't for the fact that she had a feeling they liked to snoop around when they tidied up. Audrey hated weasels.

So, after she washed her face, she started scrubbing the floor and cleaning the scarce dirty dishes left by the times she actually ended up eating at her apartment instead of on the go. There was nothing else in dire need of cleaning aside from the liquor bottles that littered the floor but it still took her well into an hour to finish, since she'd decided to vacuum and clean the bathroom as well. It was nearly five AM when she slipped on her jacket and grabbed the only small bag of garbage left in the room.

Audrey opened the door slowly and lugged the garbage to the end of the hall to stuff into the garbage chute, it was as the silver door snapped shut that the first groan echoed through the hall. It nearly made her jump out of her skin, and she looked wildly around the poorly-lit hallway.

"Hello?" she called out tentatively, pulling out her gun from her pocket at the same time. Footsteps and another groan reverberated in the hall; it was obviously coming from the stairs. "Answer me now if you don't want to die!" Aubrey shouted, running swiftly towards the door-less stairs entrance with her finger already hovering above the trigger.

She stopped all movement when she saw the familiar figure; Audrey was frozen where she stood. "Mello? Is that you?" she called out hesitantly and slightly lowered her weapon, his shape looked the same but she couldn't exactly tell if it was him yet. Besides, something was _strange_. A dark feeling was growing in her gut.

"Help me" he choked out; that really scared her, so much that she almost dropped her gun in shock. Mello never admitted he needed help from anyone, let alone her… something was _very_ wrong.

"Mello!" she shouted worriedly as he collapsed on the landing of the stairs. She raced towards him, hurriedly stashing her gun back in her pocket with the safety on. "Mello, Mello!" she repeated frantically, kneeling by his side and shaking his shoulder. He was unconscious. His jacket was spattered with blood and soot, most of it was dried by now, but some fresh red stained the hood.

She rolled him over to check for a pulse when she noticed his face… he'd gone and burned up his beautiful face. It must have been the pain that made him pass out. "Dammit, Mello. What the hell happened?" she asked aloud, her eyebrows creasing in worry. At least she could find a pulse on his neck. It was with a lot of effort that she managed to pick him up; she had to sling his arms over her shoulders, his body resting on her back. The stair climb was exhausting mostly because it was hard to balance, but the adrenaline coursing through her pushed her on. Carrying him down the short hall to her door was infinitely easier. Once Audrey got him inside the small apartment she placed him on the floor, trying to ignore the small pool of blood quickly collecting beside him.

'Death Doctor' wasn't just a cool name; it was through her early years working as the mafia medic that she earned that title emblazoned on her jacket. Although she'd never dealt very much with fire or explosives, which this clearly was, she silently promised herself to save him. "Don't worry, Mello. I can fix this…" she stated, more to sedate her panic than to comfort the unconscious man. Scenarios played out in her head that explained Mello's injuries, explained why no one else had come with him, but when she found herself biting back a sob she pushed the thoughts away. It was more important to help him, explanations and hunts for survivors would come later.

Audrey unzipped his jacket easily, the zipper would have been melded shut if it was in the fire, so he must have put it on to disguise his wounds on his trek. Why hadn't he just called her? She got up and quickly retrieved scissors, a bowl of water and sponge, along with her old medical field kit. Audrey removed the jacket carefully and revealed his abdomen; the only bleeding wound was one long scrape where it was likely a piece of shrapnel had grazed him, but it was shallow. She pressed a piece of gauze to the cut to stop its bleeding while she appraised him for more serious wounds to tend to first, and since there were none piercing vital organs, the biggest concern was definitely the burned skin marring from his face to torso.

She brushed back his hair, cutting off the few singed pieces on the left side of his face. "It's okay Mello, it's not that bad really. I can fix this. You'll be righter than rain." Audrey prattled to the unconscious man as she wet the sponge and very carefully began to blot his face, ridding him of the fresh and dried blood. The act seemed to only cause him mild discomfort in his unconscious state, evident by a few twitches. As far as Audrey could tell by now, he would be lucky if his eye or ear worked and at the very least he'd have a pretty big scar.

She took a package of gauze from her kit and carefully applied it on top of his left eye before retrieving a can of spray medical disinfectant. Audrey sprayed a thick coat of it, trying to avoid his eye as best as she could. His scream was painful, but she had been prepared for it; the wound had to be cleaned, even if it left him writhing in pain for minutes afterwards.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" she repeated, trying to remain resolute as she dabbed away the fresh blood mixed with hissing disinfectant. She suddenly remembered her strong pain pills for migraines, jumping up and sitting back down with them in a flash. She grabbed some nearby vodka as she urged him to open his mouth gently "swallow this, it will help" she directed, giving him two pills and a shot of vodka. She fought tears when she saw him struggle to simply swallow. "Please, it will stop the pain" she pleaded with him, gently rubbing his throat to help. After he successfully swallowed she heaved out a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't be able to feel most of the pain now.

"Don't move, ok?" Audrey said rhetorically. She administered a few eye drops and fashioned an eye bandage for him, with gauze as well as a bit of plaster to keep it in place. There wasn't much she could do but make him rest it and hopefully his eye would be useable, but she didn't really want to think about it not being useable so instead she opened her mouth again. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry about what I said earlier. I was being stupid because I…" She hesitates, but she needs him to hear it just in case. Now is not the time for pride. "I care about you, so please don't die" she finishes in a whisper, avoiding the gaze of his uncovered eye. Audrey applied burn ointment before covering the whole burn with gauze, which was nearly the entire half of his face and neck, before wrapping it in bandages to keep it in place. Silently, she helped him sit up and cut off the remainder of his burned vest before she quickly dumped out the reddish-tinted liquid in the bowl and re-filled it with clean warm water.

Audrey carefully washed his torso clean of soot and other fire-grime before she let him lay down again. Now she was tugging off his boots, which needed no unlacing since the shoelaces had been burned into non-existence, and following that, she cut off his leather pants. For modesty's sake she was thankful his boxers remained intact, or rather, thankful he'd worn boxers that day as she suspected he most often didn't. She briskly washed his long legs with the sponge as well, trying to ignore the stare he was giving her.

"Can you walk?" she didn't wait for an answer before she continued. "You need to rest… you can have the bed" she began to help him get up. She only succeeded in sitting him upright on the mattress before she froze at the words he uttered.

"They're all dead, Audrey" Mello croaked slowly, his mouth hard to function.

_Does he mean the gang? All of the mafia? Or just everyone at HQ? What about Clem- everyone in the apartments? What the hell happened? _Audrey thought frantically, pictures of her family sprawled out lifeless flashing through her head."You shouldn't be talking" Audrey pointed out, shutting out the thoughts and images. Pretending he didn't say anything. Somewhere deep down, she'd sort of known they were dead when she'd first seen him on the stairs. She'd just hoped she was wrong.

"Kira got ahold of their names and faces, anyone who wasn't killed in the explosion-"

"shut up!" she interrupted in a yell, tears suddenly streaming down her face. "They were my family, not by blood but stronger than that because I chose them. They chose me, they…" She sobbed hysterically, backing away from him and letting his body fall onto the mattress without her support. "They were all I had! All I had left to call home!" Audrey cried, shooting off any thought that came into her head. She desperately wiped her face with balled fists before she ripped her jacket off, tossing it angrily aside. It's nickname was useless now, since everyone that knew her was dead. "Anyone that knew my real name! The people I grew up with, raised me, they're…" She curled into a ball on the floor, holding her head in her hands as she shook with sobs.

Mello kept a firm gaze at the ceiling, uncaring that half of his body was lying haphazardly off the side of the bed. He didn't dare look at Audrey, since just the sound of her crying was beginning to tear him apart inside. He'd lost everyone. He'd made a huge mistake.

**I've been writing and re-writing this chapter, and I'm still not really satisfied, so feedback would be great for the future. And if you expected lovey-dovey fluffy junk because of last chapter: hahaha! You should know me better than that, I like my characters to suffer. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and favs and such guys, you really keep me going. -Luv, Cart**


	11. Chapter 11

Audrey woke feeling stiff from sleeping on the floor, her muscles burned as she stood up and stretched. She stole a glance at Mello, still asleep with the covers tossed about him, and stumbled through the dark apartment into the bathroom. Audrey washed her face in the sink before looking in the mirror and appraising her red-rimmed bloodshot eyes. The beginning of dark circles formed under her them, she had a feeling they would only grow, and with a sigh she rubbed a hand through her messy hair.

"You have to keep going. For them." She told her reflection. It wasn't at all as convincing as she hoped it would be. She took a quick hot shower before wrapping a towel around herself and emerging from the steamy bathroom. Audrey headed to the closet, but stopped when she spotted Mello trying to get out of bed.

She immediately stomped over to him, turning on the lights on the way "What the hell do you think you're doing? get back in bed" she ordered, sitting on the floor so she could properly re-arrange the covers around him. He was staring at her, and Audrey was a little surprised that it wasn't an outright glare.

Of course, there was no way he could glare at her after last night. He had to be careful, like she was porcelain. "I can walk perfectly fine" Mello stated, crossing his arms stubbornly.

Audrey frowned at him. "Look, last time I checked you weren't a doctor. I have training" she leaned forward to smooth down a bandage that had come loose in Mello's fretful sleep, her wet hair letting drops fall on his chest. "You're under my care, so you do as I say" She shifted to get up, but instead there was a hand on her thigh to keep her in place. Audrey raised an eyebrow at him, but made no move to slap away his hand as she waited for him to speak.

Mello opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it after a few seconds instead. Audrey gave him a confused expression only to receive a light squeeze from his hand as if to say 'never mind' before he retracted it and rolled over to go back to sleep.

She stood in silence before returning to her closet and picking out a pair of black jeans and a simple green t-shirt. Audrey changed quickly in the bathroom and went into the kitchenette where she cooked eggs and toast before putting it on a plate and tapping Mello on the shoulder. Of course he wasn't asleep, neither of them expected him to be. He took the plate without a word and sat up to eat.

Audrey retrieved her leather jacket from the floor, holding it in her hands for a minute before swallowing heavily and searching the pocket for her cell phone. She found it and immediately called Matt.

He picked up on the third ring, "It's eight in the morning here. What the hell?" Matt asked, sounding groggy and annoyed.

Audrey let out a weak smile, "Sorry, it's kind of important" Audrey said as she strode to the sliding glass door on the other side of the bed and peaked out the curtain; it was dark. Eight PM in the USA. Although she didn't intend to, she'd woken up at the usual time necessary to drive to work and make it promptly at 9. Audrey felt a pang of hurt in her chest as she remembered she would never have to drive to headquarters again, but pushed the feeling down. She caught the odd look Mello was giving her over his half-finished breakfast, but ignored it as she walked back to the kitchenette.

"Unless Mello or you've been shot, I really don't care" Matt said gruffly, the sound of a clicking lighter in the background as he lit up a cigarette.

Audrey winced, "Well, you're sort of close with that one" she said.

Matt coughed in surprise. "What? Are you guys okay? I can come home if you want!" he exclaimed.

"No, no, you have important things to do" Audrey said. "Everything's… I'm taking care of Mello, so don't worry"

There was a long silence. "What happened?" Matt finally asked.

"Kira, he…" Audrey paused, fighting the tightening in her throat that meant tears were coming. "E-everyone's gone. Except for Mello and me" she stated, feeling like she was going to start crying any minute. She tried not to think about bodies laying under the rubble of the former mafia headquarters. It only made it worse.

"Oh. I'm… I'm sorry, Adds" Matt said, sounding like he would give her a hug if he could.

The nickname-Van's nickname for her- make her loose it all over again and she started crying into the phone. Not nearly as loud and uncontrollable as last night, but too vocal to go unnoticed by Mello across the room. Audrey turned, so that the only thing the blonde could see was her back, and hunched over the counter. She felt like an utter mess.

"Shh," Matt cooed from the phone. "It's going to be okay. Are you safe where you are? Are either of you injured?" Audrey could only cry harder from his second question. _How do you tell someone that his brother's been disfigured?_

Audrey jumped as something brushed her back before taking the phone from her. She turned with bleary eyes to find that it was Mello. "Y-y-you, bed" she blubbered through her tears that were finally starting to die down.

Mello ignored the comment and spoke into the phone instead. "Who is this?" he questioned, his eyebrows rising a fraction when he recognized Matt's voice on the other end.

"Mell? That you?" Matt didn't give him time to answer. "Get that girl to sit down and breathe" he ordered. Mello put an arm around Audrey's back before gently dragging her to the bed, where she promptly crawled under the sheets and faced the wall. She let out little sniffles into the pillow as Mello sat on the edge of the mattress.

"Okay, she is. I had a… I made a mistake yesterday. I managed to drag myself back to Audrey's, but everyone else…" Mello trailed off. "I don't know why she felt it was important to call you now, but-" Mello was cut off.

"She should have called me last night, but I guess she was a bit pre-occupied taking care of your stupid ass!" Matt nearly shouted before sighing and trying to calm down from his outburst. "Just how hurt are you? Did you get shot or something? Tell me what the hell happened. I'm running a check now to make sure you guys are safe at her place" he said, the rapid clicking of his laptop keyboard in the background.

Mello sighed. "There was an explosion. I made a mistake" he stated.

"_An explosion_?" Matt repeated, his typing paused. "It's more than a mistake, you know. Shit, you fucked up. Huge" Matt said before his typing resumed. He knew about the charges Mello had planted around the headquarters, just in case, but Matt never dreamed that there would actually be a need for them.

"I know, dammit" Mello said, the bite from his voice gone and filled with exasperation instead.

"At least you're safe. No cops are sniffing around for you guys" Matt stated. "But you should lay low just in case." he added.

"Fantastic" Mello wasn't sure if that was a weak attempt at sarcasm, or simply his exasperation with Matt coming thorough. After all, the last thing he needed was scolding about something that he already knew was his fault. "I'm tired. I'll update you later" Mello snapped the phone shut before Matt could say anything else.

Mello turned to look at Audrey curled up under the sheets. He battled with himself about crawling into the bed to rest with her, but it didn't seem right. _After what I did, how can she possibly do this? _Mello wondered, _How can she take care of a monster like me? _He let out a sigh, tossing her phone on the floor and putting his head in his hands. _I got the only thing she thought of as a family killed, and my face mutilated in the process. I'm never going to look the same now…_ Mello tried not to think about it, but he couldn't help it as his fingers drifted over the bandage. _I'm a monster, and now my face matches. Karma. _He thought bitterly.

Mello jumped as hands touched his bare back, "Whatever you're thinking, don't" Audrey said quietly, hugging him from behind gently. Her touch was surprising and carefully avoided his bandages.

"When did you move?" Mello asked in surprise, but kept his head in his hands. He didn't want to look at her tear-streaked face.

Audrey ignored the question. "I know you're beating yourself up about this. Don't. You can't turn back time" she stated.

Mello covered one of her hands on his shoulder with one of his slowly, as if she was an animal he could make startle and run from a quick movement. "You don't get it. I _should_ be beating myself up. It was my failure, my complete oversight, that caused it to happen" his voice was angry now, but only angry at himself, and he waited with a few moments of silence until he calmed down. "…You were right, earlier when you said I was just using them for a chess game; I should have realized, been more careful." It was strange for him to admit someone else was correct, the words felt foreign on his tongue when they were strung together. "My plan failed, I was too shortsighted. Too focused on myself. And now my face is going to permanently remind me of it" his hands traveled away from her and he clenched his fists tightly, biting back the moistness growing in his eyes. When he was younger, he would only cry if he was angry; his eyes would water and spill over from the sheer frustration caused by yelling.

She was silent for a long time, but didn't move away from him. "Mistakes are how we learn, Mello" she said quietly, voice tightening as she referred to the death of her comrades as a 'mistake'. A mistake was spilled milk, or a burned pizza, or forgetting to check your oil. Saying it was a simple mistake implied there was an eraser, implied it wasn't a big deal. "God dammit!" Audrey cursed quietly, she was crying again. It was frustrating, all the tears. They made her feel stupid and small like a child. She'd always been told that crying didn't solve anything, so why was she doing it now?

Mello turned to her and she shied away, folding her legs and hunching over so he couldn't see her face. "Hey, come here" Mello said, letting himself be gentle as he forcibly pulled her to him. Audrey found it somehow comforting to be held in his arms, and her sobs were reduced to sniffles when she pressed her cheek to his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, steadily thrumming. It was calming.

He wanted desperately to ask her now, the same question he'd been burning to ask her earlier. _Do you hate me now? For what I did?_ Mello opened his mouth to say it, but found that he couldn't once again, so he rubbed her back absently instead.

Last night, amongst the haze of blood and dizziness and pain he was in, she had said it. Mello remembered her frightened face, and the way her eyes held a panic that her body wouldn't let out. After she'd given him a pill for the pain and he could focus enough to remember the words she was spouting, she had said she cared. Cared about _him_. But, of course, that was before he'd told her everyone was dead.

_Do you hate me now?_

"I should really get you another pill for the pain" Audrey said, breaking his thoughts and serene atmosphere. "The only two you had were from last night, they're bound to wear off soon" she stated before leaning back in his arms and rubbing her red-rimmed eyes. She sniffled, her nose was red as well, "And you should really lay down. No more getting out of bed" Audrey ordered firmly, a hint of her old steel self in her voice. She silently slid out of his arms and helped him back under the covers.

Audrey took his breakfast plate and dumped it in the sink, deciding to scrub it later since the pills were more important. Audrey gave him two capsules and fixed him a glass of orange juice to wash it down with.

She walked over him and watched him as he took the medication. "I should probably change your bandages, too" she said, more to herself than him. She gathered the materials and gave him another sponge bath like the one she'd given him last night before changing all his bandages except for the one protecting his eye.

"Now that that's done…" Audrey trailed off and tossed Mello the TV remote. "I've got to go out" she called to him as she dumped out the bowl of water in the bathroom sink, leaving it and the sponge sitting on the countertop. Mello was watching the news when she came out and started rummaging through her closet for a jacket.

"At this time of night?" Mello questioned as she found a dark grey sweater and put it on.

"My apartment isn't stocked properly to stay in for long periods of time. I don't have any real food, besides, I need to get some more bandages too. And chocolate" Audrey explained as she put her phone, wallet, lighter, and pack of cigarettes in her sweater pocket. Mello didn't say anything as she grabbed her keys and her back pack and headed for the door. She faltered when she opened her mouth to lightheartedly tell him not to burn the house down while she was out. It was a simple saying back in Texas, but now it nearly made her want to bawl again.

Audrey found that all her purchases were rather problematic to fit inside of the backpack, but somehow she did it and roared back to the apartment on her Ducati within an hour. Worried thoughts filled her head on the drive, _Now that everyone's gone, how will I pay for food-or rent? _She felt shaky, weak, and out of control with her surroundings. _I don't know how to survive without them…_ Audrey trailed off in her head, pushing back the rest of her thoughts as she felt the familiar sting of tears in her eyes.

"I'm home" She said as she walked in the door, but quickly clapped a hand over her mouth when she saw Mello was asleep. Audrey flipped off the bright lights, using the TV sending colors across Mello's features as her only navigation to the kitchenette. As quietly as she could, Audrey put away the food and took off her boots before going into the bathroom and changing into black sweatpants and a white tank top to sleep in. When she stepped back into the dark room she looked at the bed, walking over and turning off the TV. For fear of waking Mello while he so badly needed rest, Audrey decided against joining him and cleared off the easy chair to curl up in instead.

Mello awoke from a strange and terrible dream about the mafia at three AM, according to Audrey's Hello Kitty clock above the TV. He would have simply rolled over and tried to go back to sleep if he hadn't heard the quiet sobs. Mello sat up, looking at the light coming out from under the bathroom door as he listened to Audrey trying to keep her crying hidden.

She had strictly told him not to get out of bed again, but Mello found himself in front of the bathroom door with his hand hovering over the handle. "Audrey?" He asked quietly, trying not to let the grogginess show in his voice.

A surprised yelp came from within and he heard her shuffling and sniffling. "Sorry, do you need to use the bathroom?" Audrey asked as she swung the door open, jumping upon seeing him standing so close.

"I heard you" Mello stated simply, she was slumped over and exhausted-looking. The light from the bathroom betrayed her, showing that the curls of her long fiery red hair were a mess and her eyes were once again red-rimmed.

She sniffled, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you"

Mello frowned at her, hating that she was apologizing for crying in a bathroom of all things. He didn't say a word, only pulled Audrey into his chest. Her hands curled around his stomach and rested lightly on his back like a nervous prom date. Her ear pressed against his heartbeat again and she let out a tired sigh. Audrey let the tension and frustration she felt pour out of her as Mello's hands rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm sorry for being such a weepy idiot lately" Audrey muttered and Mello's hands stopped.

"Stop apologizing" Mello demanded. "You're only human. It's only me" he said, and stopped. _Only me? Like we have-_

Audrey cut off his thoughts "I know, I'm sorry" she said and winced. "Sorry for saying-Ugh, never mind" she conceded, letting a long silence draw out between them.

"You couldn't sleep?" He questioned.

"I had a nightmare" she confessed, his hands taking up the kneading of her back again.

"Me too" he admitted.

**A/N: Ugh, I really really really hope this doesn't seem OOC to you all. It was hard work making this chapter feel like something Mello would do, let alone making it flow. I feel odd writing something so cute between them, but I guess the crazy emotional parts make up for it. Anyway, thanks for reading, and reviews/crit are sooo welcome. -Luv, Cart**


	12. Chapter 12

It the weeks that he progressed from bed rest and was allowed to go out on walks and run errands, Audrey changed—it was subtle, but it was there. It made a horrible feeling grow in Mello's gut.

He was chopping potatoes on the counter, she was boiling water for dinner. Mello knew there was something off about the way Audrey was staring into space whenever he glanced over at her, but it wasn't until she caught the long sleeve of her shirt on fire from the gas stove that he jumped to life.

"What are you doing?" Mello nearly shouted, grabbing her arm and shoving her hand under the water faucet as he turned it on.

Audrey seemed to come out of her state at his loud exclamation. "Oh, sorry" she muttered as she watched the water flow around her lightly scorched sleeve. Mello furrowed his brows at her reaction, but didn't say anything further as he turned off the water and carefully dried her hand with a nearby kitchen towel. Thankfully, she wasn't hurt.

A week later, he was sitting on the bed absently watching the news as she changed his bandages. Mello paled when he caught her glaring at him out of the corner of his eye, but on further inspection, she was glaring at the rosary hung around his neck. Judging by the look in her eye, it was almost as if she wanted to fight the cross itself.

Mello seized her fingers with one hand, stopping her from wrapping a bandage around his torso as he concentrated on her. "Are you okay, Audrey?" he asked, surveyed her face. They had never discussed religion before.

Her eyes flickered up to his, no embarrassment upon being caught. "I'm fine" Audrey stated, prying away his hand and continuing in her ministrations.

He didn't know what to say, so he let it go instead.

It was maddening, how this new Audrey regarded anything coldly; from good news to bad. She was distant and quiet, polar opposite the normal red-haired woman. While he should have found it comforting, It only scared Mello further when she stopped crying altogether. He tried anything to bring her back, terrified this new Audrey was here to stay.

"I'm out of chocolate, you should go get some" Mello stated immediately as she sat down with her breakfast.

She didn't look at him. "Mello, I just started eating. The eggs will get cold" Audrey stated.

He frowned, she wasn't supposed to fight back so… passively. "Well, it is the woman's job to get groceries" Mello said confidently. Sexism always got Audrey riled up.

"Fine, I'll just put it in the microwave when I get back" she said with a sigh.

Mello was scowling, it was the third time that week he'd tried to pick an argument with her. While it was the only time she would speak more than two words to him, she always backed down and let him win. It left him wondering if her spirit was gone for good. There wasn't even a spark of the fiery redhead left.

That is, until one day…

"Mello?" she asked, looking out the sliding glass doors as the smoke from her cigarette swirled out the small space the slightly opened door provided.

He switched his attention from the news to her, sitting inches away from him on the bed. "Yeah?" Mello asked, surprised she'd been the one to initiate conversation for once.

"You never told me exactly what happened to them" Audrey stated, looking away from his eyes as she flicked the ash off her cigarette into a dish on the balcony.

Mello felt his stomach drop. They never talked about that day; even when the police on the news took bodies from the rubble of the HQ and corpses from other apartments in the building. He was too afraid to upset her, afraid she might blame and despise him, just like he had already.

"Can we talk about it?" she asked, dragging him back into the present.

"Kira won, and I lost. It's as simple as that" Mello stated. Audrey turned to him, and he couldn't help but wish she was crying instead of the dead-eyed expression that was staring at him now. It reminded him of Near; indifferent. Only hers didn't have that lingering smugness.

The gaze only lasted for a few seconds before she looked out the window again, exhaling smoke slowly as her expression changed. It was determined, and he caught a flicker of that old fire in her eyes as she turned back to him. "It'll be time to remove the bandages by Friday, and I'm done doing nothing" Audrey said before stabbing out her cigarette in the dish and bringing her whole body to face him. "What I mean is, I _can't_ sit here and do nothing. I still want to help you, I need to. I _need_ to give Kira a taste of payback" she finished, searching his eyes as she waited for a reaction.

They had never discussed what she would do now that the mafia was gone.

Mello couldn't help the grin working over his face as he stared into her eyes. "Damn right you do" he said as he leaned toward her and ran his fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "It's good to have you back" Mello finished, relishing in the light blush and small smile she gave him as he rested his hand on her cheek.

Things were looking up, and when Friday rolled around, it was all Mello could do to not shake Audrey awake. Instead, he focused on making breakfast. Before, all he knew about cooking was not to touch a stove in use, but now that he'd watched her prepare food all this time he found it relatively easy to make some eggs. Although, the task still didn't stop him from glancing at Audrey every few minutes to make sure her eyes hadn't flickered open.

When eight PM rolled around, like clockwork the redhead yawned and rolled over in bed. She opened her eyes and jumped in surprise to see Mello waiting by her bedside with a hot plate of eggs and toast. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, way to be creepy" she said as she sat up against the pillows, Mello shoving the plate into her hands as she did so.

"A simple thank you would suffice" he stated teasingly as she switched on the TV, she'd gotten into the habit of watching the news while she ate thanks to Mello.

She took a bite of the food. "You're excited, I see" Audrey commented as he slipped back into the warm bed to watch the news and wait for her to finish breakfast.

He gave her a sly smile as she happily ate. "Don't pretend you aren't" he said.

Audrey put her plate aside before she hopped out of bed to get a glass of juice. "Are you going to let me take a shower first?" she asked, sipping the juice and returning to the bed to finish the last bite of her breakfast.

Mello rolled his eyes at her. "Women, hygiene always comes first with you"

She slapped him playfully on the arm, "It should come first with anyone, oh housewife Mello that makes great scrambled eggs" Audrey said then laughed as she ducked and rolled away from his arms that would no doubt put her in a headlock.

Audrey stood and ran to the bathroom before he could catch her, "I'll be quick!" She assured as she chuckled, sounds of the shower springing to life a few seconds after the door shut.

It was roughly five minutes later that she opened the door, towel wrapped around herself, only to jump as she was met with Mello's face. "Christ!" she exclaimed, clutching her heart. "you have to stop doing that" Audrey said, giving him a glare as he smirked at her.

"Only if you unwrap me already. Come on, it feels like I've been waiting forever…" Mello half-whined and Audrey rolled her eyes at him. However, no amount of eye-rolling could hide her smile that was growing at his antics.

"Fine, but I have to turn off the lights" Audrey said as she walked out of the bathroom, flipping off the lights as Mello trailed after her. "Your eye wont be used to any type of brightness, so it will probably sting" she informed as she sat Mello on the mattress before retrieving the usual bowl of water and sponge.

Peeling the bandages off was a slow process, and the gauze even slower, but she finally removed everything, even his eye bandage. "Hold still" she cautioned, cleaning the burn with the sponge for the last time. Audrey finished and gave him a few eye drops. "Try to blink slowly, and don't go outside for at least a few hours or so" she directed, but Mello wasn't really paying attention, seeing as he'd hauled himself to his feet and was trying to wobbly make his way to the bathroom.

"Whoa!" Audrey said, supporting his burned side in an instant. "You wont be used to the balance disorientation for awhile, the blast damaged part of your inner ear and your equilibrium" she explained and Mello grimaced, but let her help him anyway.

He stood at the shabby mirror above the bathroom sink, supporting himself by grasping the counter and leaving Audrey to lean against the doorframe in her towel. Slowly, Mello reached out and touched the glass, as if making sure the reflection was really him. He stared vacantly for a few minutes before he sighed deeply and turned away from the mirror, leaning on the counter and staring at the wall instead.

"Mello…" Audrey said, concerned. His head snapped in her direction, as if he forgot she was there.

"Just letting the new me sink in. I should have expected the severity of the scar" Mello stated moodily, causing her to step further into the bathroom. "Just leave me alone" he said monotonically and Audrey scowled at him.

"I will not!" she retorted loudly, marching up to him before grabbing his arm and forcing him to turn and look at himself in the mirror again. A long silence stretched between them. "It's kind of badass, isn't it?" Audrey said, and he began to violently shove away from her.

"Don't give me that crap, pity is not something I need. Especially from you" Mello said angrily as he fought to get out of her arms and leave the bathroom. "It's a permanent fucking reminder of my huge fucking failure" he growled, but Audrey persisted and pulled him back into the bathroom.

Mello gave in and let her turn him to face the mirror, although he avoided it with his eyes. "Remember when I said mistakes are how we learn, Mello?" Audrey asked seriously, grabbing his chin almost painfully to make him look in the mirror. "You're only human. If anything, that's what this is a reminder of. No one can be perfect. Not you, not even N" she said desperately, and Mello cringed at the reminder of Near. _What would that introvert say about my failure? _He wondered briefly, _…Probably nothing, just smirk like a smug bastard._

She sighed, bringing him out of his thoughts about the boy as she rested her head on his shoulder and released his chin form her hold. "You can't help being human, Mello" Audrey said, staring at his eyes in the mirror.

He wasn't sure what to say to that, so instead he gazed back at her eyes in the reflection and let a silence overtake them.

"Besides," Audrey said in a lighter tone, shattering the somber mood. "Think about all the stories you can make up to impress the girls!" She paused thoughtfully. "Does N even like girls yet? or does he still think they have cooties?" Audrey questioned curiously.

Mello bit back a laugh, it made him somewhat glad that he'd told her about Near. Although Mello'd only mentioned the initial N, his stupid toy habit, his holier-than-thou attitude, and that he was head of SPK—and, of course, that he had been Mello's biggest rival since they were young. Nothing terribly important, Audrey only used the information to crack jokes about him. Sometimes she even got Mello to chuckle.

Audrey smiled at him in the mirror before leaning over and kissing his scarred one lightly. It was gentle and quick, light enough seem like a breeze, but it made his breath hitch all the same. She didn't notice.

She left the room, probably to pick out clothes to change out of her towel, and Mello touched her kiss absently. "Theirs no girl alive that would think this is attractive" he called to her before striding back out into the main room.

Audrey nearly ran into him, clothes already in hand. "Well _I _like it perfectly fine" Audrey said, giving him a soft smile before disappearing into the bathroom to change.

Mello was lucky she couldn't see the smirk on his face through the door. "Hurry up, I want to take a shower" he said before sighing and thinking about the first shower he would have in a long time. Even if they were administered by Audrey, sponge baths just weren't all that cleansing.

Audrey opened the door in a matter of minutes. "Women, hygiene always comes first with you" she mocked and he lightheartedly flipped her off before heading into the bathroom.

"Spare towels are under the sink!" Audrey called before walking into the kitchen.

Around fifteen minutes later, Mello exited the bathroom with a happy sigh and a towel tightly wrapped around his waist. "My hair actually feels like real hair again" he rejoiced before abruptly stopping as he spotted Audrey at the counter, foreign metal shapes splayed out atop it. "What are you doing?" he questioned and she scoffed at him.

"What does it look like? Cleaning my weapons" Audrey said with a smirk before she took a swig from the bottle of vodka beside her guns.

He wanted to grin at her eagerness. Even if she wanted to appear hard-edged all the time, Audrey was still occasionally cute without knowing it. "Somehow I don't think drinking and guns mix well" Mello teased. "Besides, the plan isn't for another week, you know. And I thought we said you wouldn't take weapons?" Mello questioned as he walked over to the counter, eyeing the disassembled version of her gun as well as a few knives.

Audrey rolled her eyes at him "give me a break, I've been more cooped up than a cat in heat" she stated jokingly, before becoming serious. "Besides, if the SPK knew I was in the mafia, It'd have been easy to find news for anyone. Kira would have killed me with the others" she paused, something playing in her memory no doubt, before she shook her head and continued. "So when you take me in with you, I'll look like a typical scared civilian. They wont know me, they wont be suspicious of me. My weapons will go unnoticed, so we'll have a little more security. That way you don't have to sneak into the complex and get one of N's men. It's less dangerous, and more stable" she finished and Mello stared, Audrey could be quite smart when she wanted to.

"Tell the truth, you just want to see what N looks like, don't you?" Mello asked, rummaging around in the few cupboards for more chocolate, uncaring that he was still dressed only in a towel.

She grinned, snapping a section of her pistol together "you know me too well" she stated with a light chuckle as he retrieved a bar of chocolate from a drawer.

"N is definitely the type of person to give a shit about some civilian anyway" Mello stated with a snap as he bit into the chocolate.

Audrey finished with her weapons, leaving them re-assembled on the counter and turning to face Mello. "Does that mean you'll celebrate with me?" she asked, picking up the bottle of vodka and shaking it from side to side.

There were few times in Mello's life where he had drank alcohol; a couple beers snuck with Matt back at Whammy's, after he arrived in LA and had time to mourn L's death, and the night Audrey had kicked out Cigar and ushered him into power. Even so, he grinned at her and turned around to find a shot glass.

An hour later and they were both sitting on the bed, not drunk but quite buzzed, the TV turned to some criminal drama show. "This is stupid" Mello remarked, still dressed in his towel, rolling his eyes at the show. "It's obvious the girl's boyfriend killed her parents" he said, earning a light slap on the arm from Audrey.

"I told you not to spoil the show, now I know what's going to happen" she pouted, glaring at him before turning to search for the remote, finding it on the floor near the bottle of vodka. Forgetting what she was going to do, Audrey sighed and picked up the bottle instead. "This is hardly fun without a bunch of people to party with" the red-head said before taking a swig and placing the bottle back on the floor.

"Hey Adds?" Mello had been using her nickname since his third shot.

Her gaze was directed at the TV as she tried to decide between animal planet and the discovery channel. Since it was roughly 3 in the morning, there was hardly anything on except infomercials. "Yeah?" Audrey asked.

"If you were me, just what kind of stories would you make up to get girls?" he asked and she rolled her eyes at him before lightly tossing a pillow at his face.

"Don't be stupid, you're a boy, you'd come up with better ones than me. Men always have the best pick-up lines" she said, a hint of amusement hiding behind her words.

Mello snorted. "Way to stand up for your gender"

"Trying to make this a competition?" she questioned, a raised brow.

He straightened in his sitting position on the bed, crossing his arms defiantly. "What if I am? Can you handle it?"

It was her turn to snort indignantly. "Fine, best pick-up line you've ever used successfully. And I warn you, I'm good. Your second sentence is actually one of my favorite lines" the seriousness in her face made Mello hide the laughter welling up inside of him.

"Can you handle it?" he asked incredulously. "_Really?"_

She scoffed. "Don't fix it if it isn't broken"

He shook his head. "Fine. Best one hands down is 'I wish you were DNA helices so I could unzip your genes'" Mello stated confidently.

Audrey nearly exploded with laughter. "You're kidding? _That_ was successful?" she asked through snickers and Mello nodded, slightly annoyed at her doubt. "Whatever, I bet any girl you got with that didn't even understand what you meant. Bet she was dumb as nails" Audrey said with a roll of her eyes.

Mello stared at her. "Stalling, are we?" He asked condescendingly.

She frowned, her face full of determination again. "Not in the slightest. My best one has got to be…" she trailed off, thinking for a moment before she came back smirking. "Fuck me if I'm wrong, but isn't your name Dave?"

He shook his head with a chuckle. "Its not fair if the line's _ancient" _Mello said.

"You're just jealous because you cant think of a better one!" Audrey said with a smirk.

"My name's Mello, just so you know what to scream" he says rather abruptly, looking smug.

"That outfit would look great in a crumpled heap next to my bed" she shoots back, looking down at the towel he's still dressed in for the full effect of the line.

He doesn't laugh, in fact, the way his eyes are boring into her now makes Audrey's stomach squirm. Suddenly, everything is serious. "What are you looking at?" she means to snap, but instead it comes out full of a nervousness and embarrassment that makes her cheeks flush lightly.

They are already close to each other on the bed, but Mello advances on her slowly to shorten the gap between them. Audrey is frozen, like a deer in the headlights as Mello smirks at her before lifting up a hand to rest on her cheek. He absently tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and she can feel herself stiffen up further from the tension, Audrey's only distantly aware that her cheeks must be burning red. Mello's so close that his breath is washing over her, and suddenly she can't breathe. She's lightheaded before they even kiss.

Without warning, Mello lurches forward in a sudden predatorial movement. Their lips meet in a searing way that was so hot it almost burned. It conveyed more emotions than she could process; a genuine elation, a fierce desire, and an underlying affection neither of them could express properly. His mouth against hers made her head spin. Audrey forgot her surroundings, forgot she even possessed anything other than lips moving against his.

She hadn't realized she needed it so much before, the feeling of an intimate moment, but the satisfaction alone at having him so close made her let out a breathy sigh into his mouth. Mello let out a guttural growl at the back of his throat in return, abruptly looming over her and forcing her onto her back on the mattress. Everything intensified, his tongue didn't bother asking for permission and slid into her already half-open mouth instead. A full-blown moan slid out of her before she could even realize it was coming.

Then, suddenly, Mello was apart from her. It was over far too soon. Audrey slid her eyes open slowly, panting from their exertion, and found him staring at her with a seriousness that rivaled his now wild eyes. "We can't do this" Mello stated evenly, despite his own chest heaving for air.

Audrey scowled at him before sitting up and pausing inches from his face. "Why not?" she asked, gaze flickering from his lips to his eyes.

"It would only complicate things" Mello stated, his hand toying with her shirt hem despite his words.

She smirked at him. "I thought you liked a challenge" Audrey said slyly.

He stared at her, another one of his unreadable expressions on his face. Audrey had a moment of panic under his focus; that he thought it was a mistake, that he didn't want her after all. But, all doubts were expunged when he violently met her lips again, a hunger growing between them.

In the end, his towel did end up crumpled in a heap by her bed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Doo De Pi Pi Pi~! Doo De Pi Pi Pi~!**

Audrey nearly threw the annoying phone across the room, but flipped it open and pressed it to her ear instead. "Matt, what the hell is it?" she croaked into the receiver, instinctively knowing who it was by the cheerful beat.

"You sound like you had a long night," the amused voice of the goggled redhead said from the other end of the line.

She sighed in annoyance before sitting up in the bed. The movement brought the arm slug around her waist to her attention, and before Audrey could stop herself, a smile worked its way across her face. "Yeah, well, so did your mother" Audrey shot back at Matt half-heartedly.

The line was silent, she could almost hear the gamer raising a questionable brow. "That was a piss-poor insult, especially for you. Aren't you going to call me dumb as a cow or something?" he asked.

"You just woke me up at-" she glanced at the hello kitty clock above her TV, "Noon? What the hell, Matt! It's frigging daylight outside, you ass!" Audrey was very used to her nocturnal lifestyle.

Matt clicked a lighter in the background, the noise instinctively making Audrey want a cigarette. "Yeah, I know. Your flight leaves at three, tickets are waiting at the airport under your fake FBI aliases" Matt said.

"Flight? Did you really find out the location of the SPK already?" She asked in surprise, "I thought you said it would take a week, at least"

"Yeah, well I forgot how awesome I am" Matt stated, the smile evident in his voice. "And, N hardly tried to cover his tracks from me"

Audrey rolled her eyes at his pride, "Mello isn't going to like that you know, he planned us leaving in a week" she pointed out.

"Then I guess it's a good thing he'll hear it from the chick that rocked his world last night and not me" Audrey flushed pure scarlet, and the line went dead within her bout of speechlessness.

"Sneaky fucking son of a bitch," Audrey muttered under her breath as she snapped the phone shut. _Even if it's embarrassing, I do have to hand it to Matt_- "He's too good at figuring things out" she commented aloud to herself before jumping as the arm at her waist moved.

Mello's fingertips slid across her taunt stomach and Audrey felt her blush darken. "Matt on the phone?" The blonde asked, sounding sharp and alert without a hint of drowsiness in his voice.

_How the hell-Was he listening?_ Audrey wondered, pulling the sheet up to cover her naked chest. "Yeah, he found it" She said.

He was suddenly bold upright in bed, hands off of her. "The SPK? N?" Mello asked, frowning.

"Flight's at three, tickets waiting for a Sloane and McKinnley" Audrey confirmed with a nod.

Mello was out of the bed in an instant, ignoring his nudity as he angrily headed towards a small black duffel bag to start packing. "He couldn't have made us new aliases? If we get flagged by the FBI N will know it's me instantly," Mello muttered, dropping an armful of chocolate bars into the bag. "I suppose that would have only delayed us, but I could have held out a little longer if it meant more security" he said.

Audrey swallowed hard before she got up, averting her eyes from his body with determination. "Mello, Christ, you can take some time to put on some clothes. It's only noon, we have hours before the flight" she grumbled, holding the sheet around herself as she got up from the bed and made her way to the closet.

"It's not like you haven't seen it before" the blonde said, shooting a smirk in her direction even though her back was facing him.

She sighed in annoyance as she felt herself blush yet again, "should we even bother packing clothes, then? Or will you prefer to run around naked outside, too?" Audrey asked sarcastically, picking out her clothes before turning to him with her hands on her hips.

"Well _you_ don't have to pack anything-" she smacked him on the arm lightly before going into the bathroom and starting a shower.

Their luggage consisted of two identical black duffel bags, boringly similar to the black suits each of them donned, but being inconspicuous was of the highest advantage of the situation they currently found themselves in. After all, it was thanks to the authority of the fake FBI badges and their believable appearance that they got through security with the amount of weaponry in their bags.

Audrey sighed, reclining in the comfortable first-class seat 1,000 miles over Nevada. "Well, now the only security we'll have to worry about is N's" she commented, lowering her voice enough that she could be sure none of the people around them could hear.

"Matt will have that taken care of by the time we land, all we need is for you to be confident in the role you'll be playing" Mello stated, referring to her 'civilian act' plan. "You're sure you want to do this that way?" he questioned nonchalantly.

She turned to look at him in surprise. "The plan? I already said I would. I don't go back on my word"

Mello stared at her blankly for almost an uncomfortable amount of time. "If something goes wrong-"

"Nothing will" Audrey stated confidently, frowning at his uncharacteristic words.

Mello gave her an exasperated sigh, suddenly looking very tired. "There is nothing wrong with planning for the-"

"Sorry to interrupt, can I get the lovely couple something to drink?" The flight attendant caught both of them off-guard, the woman's cheery smile drooping as Mello and Audrey gaped at her for a few minutes in surprise.

Audrey found herself blushing as Mello's words left her thoughts and her head turned to the flight attendant's sentence. _Couple? Are we a couple?-No, that's stupid. It was just one night of-I mean, we like each other, but… People like us, we don't… Date-Or, or, whatever you call it. I mean, maybe I… But Mello would never want-UGH, SHUT UP. Now is not the time to worry about this. _"Uhm, uh, R-root beer, please" Audrey sputtered, causing Mello to raise an amused brow at her reaction.

The flight attendant smiled politely at her before turning her questioning gaze to Mello. "Water" he said simply, still curiously stuck on Audrey's face, as she stared at her hands and pretended she didn't notice.

The beverages were carefully placed on a tray table and the woman was halfway down the aisle before Mello spoke again. "You're blushing," he stated.

"Thank you, Mr. Obvious" Audrey stated sarcastically, taking a gulp from her glass.

"It's unprovoked. What's wrong with you?" He asked.

She frowned at his bluntness. "Nothing. It's not-What were you saying before?"

"I was giving you an out"

Audrey recoiled so quickly her neck hurt. "_What?_"

"I know you feel like you need to do this, but you don't have to-"

"I DON'T HAVE-" she halted, looking around at the staring passengers before lowering her voice considerably. "I don't have to do this? I-We've been through this, I _want_ to do it. Haven't I proved to you that I'm here because I want to be?"

Mello sighed, "That's not what I'm saying, I don't doubt your resolve…" he looked away from her, staring at the seat back in front of him. "If you have some sort of emotional attachment that's keeping you here, with me, then-"

"Mel-"

"Let me finish," he stated, eyes boring into hers with some sense of urgency. "If that's any reason why you're here, then you need to go. You can get your revenge in other ways; you can reform the mafia, you can take your skills and join another... It won't be as satisfying, but you will be alive. If you go any further with me, I could get you killed."

For awhile, they did nothing but lock eyes; and in that Audrey found an understanding. In the deep blue pits of his eyes, the coldness that was once there for her was gone-he was worried, worried about where this might take her. _Mello's never going to say it, but… Matt was right. Mello cares-he cares about me._ Audrey smiled. "I'm not leaving your side, and you can't make me"

5 hours later, the jarring bump of landing gear on tarmac jolted Audrey awake with a little yelp. "It's just the plane. We're here" Mello stated, returning his Newsweek to the seat back pouch in front of him.

"Sorry," Audrey said, upon realizing she'd fallen asleep on his shoulder. The only reply she received was a smirk, but it was enough to make her face color for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

Wordlessly, the two of them retrieved their bags and made it off the plane before the other passengers could crowd the aisle. "Alright, it's nearly ten now, but I have no doubt that N and his team will still be awake and working when we get there. We're going to go through with the plan tonight" Mello stated as the two of them walked briskly down the bustling airport walkway.

She tried to speed up to match his long strides, "Okay, sounds good" Audrey nodded, shifting the heavy duffel bag on her shoulder.

"Perfect" Mello suddenly stopped, gripping her arm and pulling her into a small family bathroom without warning.

Audrey floundered, pulling her arm away from him. "What? What the hell are we doing?-I thought we were going through with the plan? You don't want to-do you…?" she asked, face suddenly a dark red.

He smirked at her. "Mind in the gutter, I see. We're still going through with the plan"

"I-I-I'm not… Then why…?" Audrey stuttered.

"There's no way on earth N will think you're a civilian when you're wearing that" Mello said with a chuckle, enjoying her flustered state as he started unbuttoning her suit's crisp white shirt.

Shakily, she slapped his hands away. "I can do it myself, you don't even have to be in here if I'm changing-You're the perv" Audrey said, shoving him towards the door.

"What makes you think I want to see N while I'm wearing this monkey suit?" Mello asked rhetorically, focusing on his own buttons now.

Audrey rolled her eyes, "Whatever; excuses, excuses" she said, removing her suit jacket before taking one of her all-black ensembles out of her duffel bag.

"Nope; you're not wearing that either. Too suspicious" Mello said, his torso bare as he stuffed his suit uncaringly into his bag before digging around inside of it.

She deadpanned as he retrieved a black and white spotted sundress and held it out to her. "You've got to be kidding. I don't do dresses-They're pointless and restrictive" Audrey stated, crossing her arms.

Mello stepped towards her, backing her against the wall, "I'm taking that as an invitation to undress you" he said, smirking dangerously at her.

"God dammit, _fine_!" she snapped, yanking the dress out of his hands. "Now get away from me, and stop doing that _thing_"

He didn't move, if anything he only shifted closer to her. "What thing? I'm not doing any_thing_" Mello stated, his smirk growing.

"That thing with your eyes," Audrey paused, shifting uncomfortably. "You're eye-fucking me right now, knock it off and go change in the other corner"

With another chuckle, Mello retreated and changed into one of his usual leather outfits-sneaking glances at Audrey as he did so. In the meantime, Audrey quickly dressed before attaching a gun holster to her thigh. Among her many weapons was a handgun, a pocketknife in her bra, the usual knife in her boot heel; and three sets of ammunition strapped to the same thigh as her gun. Mello's only protection was a pistol and a hood to hide his face.

The car rental seemed to know Mello's taste, as they already had a jet black motorcycle waiting for them when the two of them got there; two tight arms clutching around Mello later, they arrived at the SPK building at 10:23.

"Get off" Mello barked harshly to Audrey. They'd talked about this before, Mello had explained that N would most likely have cameras and mics all over the building, so the language and motions had to be convincing.

Audrey got of the bike, then slammed her back flat against the SPK outer wall. "Sir, just please let me go" She pleaded in a shaky voice, one that she'd practiced for hours. Mello quickly turned off the bike and stepped on the curb, leaving his helmet on the seat. He kept the gun in his pocket, although anyone could tell it was pointed at her if they knew what to look for. That is, if anyone had been around.

"Shut your trap and this will be over soon enough. Don't fuck up, because I won't hesitate to kill you" he warned, pulling up the hood on his jacket as he did so.

Once inside, all Mello had to do was take the gun out of his pocket and the guard called Near on the intercom. "N! T-this man has a hostage!" the guard said in a frightened voice and Mello almost laughed, clasping Audrey's hands that were twisted behind her harder together.

"Tell him that it's Mello" he said darkly, pressing the gun barrel into her back.

The guard was physically shaking as Near's voice rang out over the speaker, "…Let him in" it was short, and just as emotionless as Mello remembered. Even just his voice could made Mello scowl.

The two of them rode the elevator up alone, and Audrey started on the panicked banter typical of a real civilian. "I don't understand… why me?" she said, her voice cracking and sounding like she was about to cry.

Even though it was fake, Mello had to admit that the sound still made his stomach turn. "Didn't I tell you to shut the hell up?" He asked coldly, nudging her out of the elevator with the gun between her shoulder blades. They began their walk down the hall, and with each step Mello found himself getting more and more bad-tempered just by the suggestion of facing Near. The hall—no, the whole building just screamed Near; there was cold simplistic metal every place you looked. Mello hated it.

They reached the control room and the door slid open with a quiet **'whoosh'**. Mello made a show of forcing Audrey inside with a shove of her wrists as well as the gun. "Mello, welcome" the small boy in white said monotonically, playing with a ring of trains. Audrey found herself shocked at the sheer childish appearance of the genius enigma known only as N.

"Drop your weapon!" an obnoxious man said to the right of Mello, brandishing a gun.

"Back away from the girl!" the other to his left ordered, with a gun as well.

Mello scowled at them, only pushing the gun further against Audrey's back. "Please stop!" Audrey chocked out, eyes shimmering with tears. "He'll kill me!" she said desperately and Mello scoffed at the agents.

"That is, unless you call off your dogs, N" he stated, throwing a glare at the boy's back although he couldn't see it.

Near waited a few moments before responding. "Everyone please put away your weapons. Having a shoot out here would achieve nothing" Near stated evenly, surprising Audrey with his composure.

"Sir, with all due respect, Mello was the one who killed our partners" the annoying man to the right said, glaring at the blonde. That was when Audrey started the fake shaking; such an announcement would make a normal girl shiver in fear.

"Please don't make me say it again. Remember that our prime objective is to catch Kira, killing Mello right now would do nothing to help our investigation. Besides, your only scaring the girl" Near stated. Slowly, the weapons came down from the SPK members, but not the angry glares.

Mello lowered his gun as well, but kept a firm grip on her hands and used his gun hand to remove his hood. "Seems like everything has been going according to your plan, Near" Mello said icily.

A small hand reached up to twist a curl of white hair, "Please refrain from using my name in front of civilians, Mello" Near stated and Mello smirked at his back.

"Why? She's going to be dead anyway, from the way you're cooperating with me right now" he stated and Audrey struggled with her hands.

"No! Please!" she exclaimed, letting a few tears fall now.

Near showed no reaction. "Mello, I'm simply trying to be calm for her sake" Near said, finally turning around. "Are you okay?" he asked Audrey. Her eyes were wild and frightened and she bit her lip as a few tears fell, nodding a silent 'yes'.

"I don't want to be here all night" Mello said, driving the point home as moved the gun barrel to Audrey's temple.

Audrey sniffled, tilting her head away from the gun barrel as Near watched almost curiously. "Yes, I understand. I trust you've already heard about the second L by now. I've pretty much figured out who Kira is… mostly thanks to everything you've done" Near stated.

Mello shoved his gun towards Near roughly as he fumed, "SHUT UP NEAR!" he shouted. Audrey shook at his voice, whimpering. Once again the two SPK agents aimed their guns at Mello's head, but Near remained unflinching. "I'm not just some tool for you to use in order to solve your puzzles, you know" Mello stated darkly, making Near's attention shift from the now sobbing Audrey back to him.

"If you really want to shoot me then go ahead and do it" Near stated, unaffected. Hesitantly, Mello's fingers tightened on the trigger; the **'click, click, click' **seeming to reverberate through the tension-filled room.

"STOP!" Audrey's voice rang out, surprisingly loud, and Mello's eyes snapped to her. "I-I-I'm n-not stupid, I know who the SPK is—" she interrupted herself with a sob. "S-shooting t-t-them would be like s-s-shooting the last thing able to defeat K-Kira! What good would it do?"

Mello had to admit, she was playing the part very well… only this wasn't in their script. _Is she actually afraid I would shoot Near? The worst part is that she said the SPK, that Near, was the last thing able to defeat Kira… _It made a whole new type of anger boil up inside Mello. _She doesn't think I could win? Defeat Near, defeat Kira?_

"Who the fuck said you could talk?" Mello asked coldly and Audrey quickly shut up; biting her lip and looking away as he pressed the gun to her temple. Tears rolled down Audrey's cheeks, only fueling Mello's frustration. He was so full of anger; at Near, at Audrey—but seeing her cry was making him want to beat himself up. He prayed she was still faking. "Let's get to the real reason why I'm here, and you know what that is" Mello directed at Near venomously.

"Of course" Near said, "there was only one, and no copies have been made. The rest of your information has been deleted, and every person that knew your face or real name dealt with; inside and outside of Whammy's House. None of them will talk, although I can't guarantee 100% that you won't be killed by the notebook" Near finished, tossing a photo to Mello which he caught with ease. Mello stared at the picture a moment before Near caught his attention again. "If that's the only business you have with me, than switch the girl for one of my agents and leave" Mello's eyes widened before they resumed they're glare.

"I'm not following your orders, I'm not one of your lackeys" Mello stated.

Near's glance went from the desperate expression Audrey was giving out, to Mello. "If you're worried they'll attack you or try to overpower you, then don't. They will calmly accompany you outside and watch you drive away without resistance" Near said calmly as Mello unconsciously tightened his grip around Audrey's wrists. She was his and no one else would touch her, especially not Near. Mello glared holes into Near's head as they boy spoke suddenly; "So it's settled, if you have nothing else to say than please leave with Giovanni"

"Let me make it clear that I have no intention of ever working with you" Mello stated.

"Yes, I know" Near cut in, much to Mello's annoyance.

"But at the same time, I can't just take my photo and leave. I have to settle my debt" he continued, and at last Near looked slightly interested. "The killer notebook, it belongs to a shinigami. Whoever touches it is able to see a god of death"

Near let out a quiet gasp at this, his eyes widening slightly in the biggest display of emotion Audrey had yet to see out of the boy. "That's just crazy!" one of the agents spoke up.

"who the hell would believe something like that?" another exclaimed.

"I would" Near stated suddenly, and now all eyes were on him. "I believe him completely, what good would it do to tell an outrageous lie like that? Even if he had something to gain, he could at least come up with a more believable story. Therefore, these gods of death must really exist" Near concluded.

Mello spoke up again, "The notebook I obtained belonged to a shinigami and had a previous owner, maybe even Kira himself. Two of the rules written inside are fake, and that's all I can tell you for now" he finished, business-like as he turned around. Audrey began following Mello, before an agent stopped them by placing a hand on her arm.

"As I asked, why don't we trade. The girl for Giovanni, he will behave well. I promise" Near stated, and Audrey looked up at Mello questionably. The blonde refused to meet her gaze, and she could see the wheels turning in his head.


	14. Chapter 14

The tension between the two of them as Audrey stared at Mello was palpating, sudden panicked thoughts ran through her head. _No, he wouldn't leave me here-would he? How could I possibly find him again if he… It would be the perfect chance to ditch me, if he wanted too-no way, he wouldn't. But if he disobeys Near… What is Near really capable of? Would he have his agents shoot Mello?_

The sudden words cut through her thoughts like a knife, "Listen Near," Mello said, looking at Audrey as if he were talking to her instead. "I will win in the race to beat Kira, I won't be second to you anymore. We're both headed towards the same destination… Now who will get there first?" and with that, Mello was gone; but Audrey understood. The way he was staring at her as he spoke those words… there was a message for her in there somewhere. If not, well, she could always call Matt.

She searched through his words in her head, _Surely the first sentence doesn't mean anything, since I can't get anything out of it, but the second one…_ _"We're both headed towards the same destination… now who will get there first?" _Audrey frowned as she thought, staring at the door Mello left through as she focused. _We never made plans to go anywhere after this, but what if he did? What if Mello was keeping it from me? Where would he go? I mean, Matt's in Japan-That's it! Japan! I'll just go straight to the airport as soon as Near lets me go. That is… Assuming he will… What if he wants to interrogate me for information about Mello? Wait, no, he think's I'm a civilian. That means some sort of speech to comfort me at most, right?_

Slowly, Audrey turned back to face the small boy; making sure her eyes were still watery and full of fear. "Wuh-What happens now?" She croaked, hoping she still sounded convincing in her role.

"You can drop the act now, I know who you are" Near said calmly, running a toy car along the floor.

His words make her body stiffen in shock as her jaw dropped in surprise. "W-w-what?" she exclaimed, trying to mask her surprise with outrage. "First I get kidnapped, then I have my _life_ threatened-And now you think I'm _lying_?"

"Sir, the girl can't possibly be-" Near's remaining agent spoke up, before he was cut off.

"She is" Near stated, fixing Audrey with a cold stare.

"She's been badly shaken, don't you think-"

Near disregarded the agent's protest, "Despite your ability to hide in the background, which probably saved you when the mafia was killed, a nickname like 'Death Doctor' is hard to ignore." Near stated evenly, expression completely void of any emotion. "You have no name on record, police or otherwise, but your nickname has popped up in our research more than once-without a picture. There is a 72% chance, due to your described appearance in police reports and your reaction when I asked the two of you to split up, that you are this 'Death Doctor'" he stated, and a surprised gasp came from the remaining agent.

"Sir, she's just been held at gunpoint, do you really think this is a fair accusa—"

"Shut up" Audrey interrupted, retrieving the knife from her boot before the agent could blink. The man was too slow to draw his own weapon, his fingertips barely reaching the holster as she held the blade at his throat. "Place your hands behind your head" she ordered, retrieving her gun and trying not to care that lifting up her dress had probably given Near a good view of her black Hello Kitty underwear. She stepped closer to the man, so that the barrel was resting against the back of the agent's head. It was a reverse of the situation she had been in only minutes before-except that this one was real.

Neither the gun nor the knife got a rise out of Near, "There is no need for such brash action. Doctor, please lower your weapon" Near said calmly.

Audrey glared, annoyed by both his lack of emotion and the fact that he used her nickname. _That stupid monotone voice-does he even care I could kill his agent? Or, did he expect this sort of reaction…?_ "Don't call me that" she said through clenched teeth, glaring fiercely at him.

"Then what should I address you as?" Near questioned.

"Nothing, since you're going to shut the fuck up right about now. If you don't want your agent to die right here, then let me leave in peace like Mello" she demanded, and tried not to let her surprise show as the corner's of Near's mouth flicked upwards slightly.

He bit his thumb, "Shoot him, all of the men on my team made a vow to die in the pursuit of Kira." Audrey flipped off the safety at his words, and Near continued a bit louder "But that would be very foolish, when all I want is to talk with you. I will let you leave after we're through, in peace, as you said" he finished.

Audrey stared suspiciously at him. _If he's serious, then it must be something big to discuss… Maybe even something worth telling Mello._ "Fine," She said finally. "But, if all you want to do is talk, then send your agent out of the room. The only condition is that I'm keeping my gun" she stated, and when Near gave the agent a nod, he reluctantly left.

"Are you two staying here?" Near asked, wasting no time.

"No" she answered truthfully, keeping her eyes locked on him as she slowly slipped her knife back into her boot.

"Where are you meeting Mello?" Near continued.

"Dunno" she answered simply and he stared at her.

"Please don't lie"

Audrey paused from wiping the dry tear streaks from her face. _How could he tell? lying is one of the skills I pride myself on... _"Fine. I'll be honest; I'm not going to tell you anything I know Mello wouldn't like" she shot out.

"You're pretty, is that why he keeps you around?" Near asked, and she was hit out of left field.

"W-What?" she questioned, squinting at him in confusion.

"You seem to have some moderate acting skills, but what do you bring to the table that Mello couldn't achieve himself?" he asked emotionlessly.

Audrey suddenly had the overwhelming feeling to wring his little neck. "Don't you dare underestimate me! I may not be a genius, but I'm not _stupid_. If you'd seen half the things I have, or what I can do to people, you'd probably be bawling your eyes out. Hell, I have more guts than you can hang on a fence boy" she finished, aiming the gun at his head in a threatening gesture.

Near reached up to twirl a lock of snowy hair, unaffected by her intimidation tactic. "I see, that's why he likes you. You're the same emotional, stubborn person he is. I always figured he was narcissistic enough to date himself if he could…" he stated flippantly and she wanted to pistol-whip him, teach the little precious something.

"If Mello and I were the same, he would have killed you a long time ago. I'd like you to know that if he didn't want to beat you so bad, I would kill you myself here and now. I have no likening for golden boys who haven't spent a day out of mommy's lap" she finished, gesturing to the expensive control room as an example of the wealth that he was coddled in.

If he was offended, Near didn't show it. "I see that you won't tell me anything, but I will warn you, Mello is dangerously impulsive. He will most likely get you killed. What I'm saying is, if you ever want to fight against Kira on a different team…" he trailed off and tossed her a business card, which she caught and clenched in her fist.

Audrey wondered what his point was, _sure Mello would rather take action than sit around and wait-But so would I… _"Near, let's get this straight right now: I'm not fighting on any _team_. I'm fighting Kira." Audrey stated. "I'm loyal to Mello because he's still the boss, even if the mafia is gone. My men lost their lives to that coward Kira, and I want my life to be used for the same cause; just like them, I will follow my master. Even towards death" she stated before turning on her heel and walking to the door.

Audrey paused on the threshold, hesitation gripping her bones. "However… should you need Mello's help… I will speak in favor of you. You're a jackass, but you're a jackass that knows what he's doing" she said with an amused smirk before she walked through the doorway, "And the name's Audrey" she added, just as the doors closed behind her.

_That little prick was certainly not what I expected, but somehow it doesn't really surprise me… Anyone who grew up with Mello has to be a little weird. Although, how old was he? Ten? _Audrey smirked at the thought, a perfect joke about Near popping into her head to share with Mello later.

"Mello!" She exclaimed aloud, realizing that she had better get to the airport fast. Audrey started at a full sprint down the street before she stopped and smacked herself on the forehead. "It's not like I can run all the way to the airport, stupid. I need some wheels…" she trailed off before jumping at a horn honk coming from down the street. Immediately furious, Audrey whipped her head around; already yelling. "Son of a bitch, who the hell do you think you are, you fucking pervert? I am not in the… mood to…" Audrey halted and laughed aloud before walking towards the motorcyclist.

"I heard you needed a ride" Mello said, smirking as he took off his helmet.

Audrey let out a sigh of relief. "I thought you left me here for real…" she stated, "To be honest I was a bit afraid that you were going to try to ditch me-Or that you wanted me to meet you at the airport"

"I wasn't sure you got that message or not, so I rode around until I was sure Near didn't have a tail on me. Then I came back for you" Mello said, starting to slip back on his helmet.

She found herself blushing again, and before she could think about it, Audrey grabbed his helmet away from him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Blushing darker now, she pulled back quickly, "Sorry, I just… You deserved that" Audrey stated.

Mello had a genuine expression of surprise on his face, but he recovered quickly. "Do I deserve any more?"

"No!" Audrey exclaimed, punching him lightly in the arm before shoving his helmet back into his hands and climbing onto the back of the bike. "Now are we going to the airport, or what?"

With a chuckle, Mello slipped on his helmet and accelerated quickly; making Audrey yelp and immediately wrap her arms around his waist. "Make sure you hang on tight" Mello said teasingly as they roared down the street.

Even though she'd slept on the plane, Audrey still felt like hell when they landed in Tokyo. "Fuck, have I ever mentioned to you that I hate jet lag? Because I really, really, do" Audrey stated as they walked off the flight, scowling as Mello shushed her. "Did you just-"

"Look," Mello said, pointing at the large TV in the airport lounge.

Audrey's eyes widened as she stated at the sight, "Is that… The SPK?" she questioned rhetorically as the two of them made their way closer to the TV, sitting down on one of the uncomfortable airport couches.

"Fellow Kira followers!" the TV blared. "Don't rush in all at once, the traitors may hide among you in order to escape. Follow me, for I am the true voice of Kira!"

Audrey scoffed, "Traitors? Who does this guy thing he is?" she exclaimed, ignoring the several Japanese people that turned to look at her, "How can the police let them do that-violent rioting is illegal! They should round up all those Kira idiots and-"

Mello clamped a hand over her mouth, meeting her glare with one of his own. "Shut up, what do you think you're saying?" Mello demanded in a hushed tone before looking up at the voice that addressed them.

"Nihagno, mora hi rangana?" The perturbed businessman said. Audrey would have snapped at him that she couldn't understand a single word he was saying, but Mello's hand was still over her mouth.

"Kata meji bungo, shiko kochira" Mello stated fluently to the man, making Audrey's jaw literally drop in surprise. "Zo-wa hana-ga nagai" he continued, and suddenly Mello was pulling her to her feet and they were walking away from the news.

Audrey was confused. "Where are we going? I want to see if N is okay" she protested, but Mello kept yanking her along until they reached a less-populated part of the walkway.

"What the hell kind of stunt were you trying to pull back there?" Mello questioned, gripping her forearm tightly.

His sudden anger unnerved her. "Huh? What the fuck are you talking about?" Audrey asked, bewildered, before wincing. "You're hurting me" she added, struggling with her arm in his grasp.

Mello's grip was immediately released, "I don't think you get it; we're in Kira country now. Even if people don't agree with him, they're too terrified to say anything against him. If you sound like you're saying something even close to negative, people could get angry with you and try to hurt you"

Audrey rolled her eyes, rubbing the red mark on her arm, "That businessman? Come on, I could have taken care of him" she said nonchalantly, jumping as Mello grabbed her shoulders. It was a firm grasp, but gentler than the one before.

"I'm not saying you couldn't, I'm saying that next time it might not be a businessman." Mello stated, staring into her eyes in a way that could only mean he was being deadly serious. "Unless you're in someplace safe, you can't just hand your opinion out like that. What if they'd all mobbed you? You have to be careful from now on, okay?"

"I-I, um, okay" Audrey stammered, his concerned attitude making her flustered. "What was he saying anyway?"

Mello gave her a curious look, "You don't speak Japanese?"

She dared to roll her eyes at him again, "Not everyone is a genius" Audrey shot back.

"I'll teach you," Mello stated, letting go of her shoulders and taking her hand instead. "Now, Matt's supposed to pick us up, so lets get going"

As soon as they reached the curb and spotted Matt leaning up against the cherry red mustang, Audrey let the grin overtake her face. "How's the world's biggest nerd holding up?" she asked, standing on her tip-toes to ruffle Matt's hair.

"Jesus Christ, you're awfully chipper" Matt said in surprise, stomping out his dying cigarette before swooping her up into a bear hug.

Audrey flailed, "Augh! Not chipper enough for this, put me down you son of a bitch!" she ordered, shrieking as Matt spun her around.

Mello was scowling at them and crossing his arms, having already tossed the duffel bags into the trunk. "Do you want me to give you guys a moment?" he asked bitterly, glaring daggers at Matt as he let Audrey out of his arms.

"Chill out, you're the only one she's going to be getting between the sheets with" Matt stated with a teasing smirk, making both Audrey and Mello blush. "God, you two are _so_ perfect for each other. Jealous, stubborn, sons of-" Matt was cut off as he shut the driver's door behind him.

Mello sighed exasperatedly. "How did he find out?"

"Hell if I know, he just figured it out I guess"

"Figures. The wily little bastard is too smart when he tries" Mello said with a smirk.

"Hey, do you guys want a minute or do you want me to show you the new HQ?" Matt asked though the car window smugly.

**A/N: So. Much. Fluff. I think I'm dead because of all the happy. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and favs guys! Yall are awesome, seriously. I'm really glad you're enjoying the story-and I hope you continue to! -Luv, Cart**

**PS. All that Japanese is totally made up, so don't try translating it.**


	15. Chapter 15

"Well you certainly picked a winner, Matt" Audrey said with a shake of her head as she looked around at the shitty apartment before tossing her duffel bag on the ratty couch. "Man, it's second only to the taj mahal" she commented, locking her eyes on the fridge before striding over and opening it up.

The sound of Matt's lighter flickered to life behind her. "Hey, this place is the only thing we could afford on such a tight budget. I _was_ going to hack into some sap's bank account, but _someone_ told me to lay low" Matt stated with a sigh before the familiar sounds of his DS filled the silence.

"I didn't want Near to find out we'd left the US. Besides, who knows how much influence Kira has over the police here; things like that could be a flag. It would be stupid to take chances" Mello said, boots clomping to the other side of the room before slamming open a door. "This is a closet" Mello commented dryly.

Audrey turned to pay attention; a beer in her hand and the fridge door tightly closed. "Like I said, it's the only thing we could afford" Matt stated, sounding bored even though his fingers were darting over the DS buttons.

"No, I mean this door literally leads to a closet." Mello said, clomping over to another door and opening it before slamming it closed. "And that's a bathroom. Matt, where the hell are the bedrooms?" the blonde was beginning to fume.

With a cheeky smile, which hinted at the fact Matt had predicted Mello's reaction, Matt pointed to a bare mattress lying on the floor in the corner of the cramped room. "_Bedroom_, as in one. I'll take the couch, so have at it. Things as lumpy as hell anyway; and the roaches can get at you down there" Matt commented.

"You're fucking kidding me" Mello stated darkly, glaring at the mattress in disgust.

Audrey decided to butt in before the blonde started shooting at the offending sleeping arrangements. "That's all well and good, but where the hell am I supposed to sleep?" she asked.

The gamer kept his goggles firmly fixed on his game screen, "You and lover-boy can share the mattress" his amused smirk was wide.

"Half the time you talk I want to hit you." Audrey grumbled, massaging her temples. "This is ridiculous-"

"Kidding"

Both Audrey and Mello turned and gave Matt a glare that would have killed him in a perfect world. "_What?_" Audrey and Mello snapped in sync.

"The couch is a pull out, I was only kidding about the mattress; that's where I'll be sleeping. There aren't roaches either" Matt stated matter-of-factly, looking up from his game as both of the others advanced on him.

"We're still sharing?" they said collectively, glares still intact.

Matt gulped, "Yeah, but… It was kinda a little joke. I don't know, chill out" he tugged on his shirt collar nervously.

"Not funny" the two of them stated together.

"I mean… I was just trying to get Mel to lift his stupid restrictions" Matt stammered, the duo's scrutiny making him incredibly nervous.

"You wer-"

"Just stop doing that thing, for fuck's sake. Its damn creepy" Matt demanded, escaping to the fridge to retrieve a beer.

Audrey giggled in spite of herself, dropping her mostly-fake anger and taking a large gulp of her beer. "Just trying to get your goat, Matty" she said with a smile as she relaxed on the couch.

Mello dug a chocolate bar out of his duffel and joined Audrey on the couch. "Whatever. Did you find those files I wanted?" he asked over his shoulder.

Small electronic bleeping came closer as Matt came back into view, juggling a beer as he played his game. "Yeah, yeah, let me just get to the save point-" Matt didn't have to look up to know Mello was glaring, her could feel it. "Fine, okay; Oracle is already running anyway" Matt grumbled, crossing the room and sitting on the floor in front of one of his laptops.

"Oracle?" Audrey questioned, "Do you really name your-"

"_Yes_, I do." It was the first time she'd ever heard an annoyed edge in Matt's voice. "She deserves a name for all the hard work she does, and if you knew who The Oracle was you'd understand"

Audrey hid the laughter bubbling inside her with a sip of beer, "meant no offense there, just curious" she said quickly with the most serious expression she could manage.

"If you girls are done with the chit-chat, can we get to the damn files?" Mello asked, patience wearing thin already.

Matt look a large puff from his cigarette before his fingers danced over the keyboard at a dizzying pace, he was done in moments and had three documents pulled up in a tri-screen display using Oracle and his two other laptops. "Aizawa Shuichi, Mogi Kanzo, and Amane Misa" Matt stated.

Mello stood from the couch, standing over Matt and the screens. "Perfect, I trust you've already outlined their basic routines?" Mello questioned, Audrey up and looming over his shoulder curiously.

"Of course" Matt answered.

"What's the plan then?" Audrey asked before taking a swig of her beer.

Mello's smirk sent a shiver down her spine. "These three are the weakest links in the second L's team. Amane has also been suspected as the second Kira, but I think that she escaped judgment through the Death Note's fake rule. She's linked to Light Yagami; the chief's son and who I think is L the second. It's him who's really pulling the strings"

Audrey furrowed her brows. "You don't mean… he's Kira?" she questioned.

"Most likely" Matt chimed in from the floor.

She downed the last of her beer before stalking to the kitchen and tossing the bottle noisily into the trash. "Fucking pompous bastard, pretending he's hard at work tracking himself down when he's really using his damn girlfriend to help kill my family" Audrey fumed. "Ignorant son of a bitch thinks he can get away with it, the fucking devil spawn! Well, not while I'm still kicking! Damn pig-bellied coward-cunt" she slammed her fist on the counter.

"Hey, calm down, Adds" Matt said gently. "We haven't even caught him yet"

"When we do though, I'm beating that bastard within an inch of his life" Audrey declared, glaring at the countertop as she imaged what the monster called Kira even looked like.

Mello was suddenly pulling at her arm, leading her gruffly back to the computers. "Before we do anything, you two have to listen to the plan" he commented, forcing Audrey to take a seat on the couch. "Now, although Misa is a woman; I don't trust Audrey to tail her without trying to kill her first. So Matt, you get the princess"

"Cool," Matt said with a smirk. "I get the cute one"

Mello rolled his eyes. "Audrey, you get Aizawa. There's a possibility he's gone to the SPK already. He seems suspicious about Yagami, Aizawa might still hold loyalty to the old L" Mello stated.

"So, what's my job exactly? Just to tail him? Or approach him?" Audrey asked.

"Tail him. Even if the opportunity did arise for you to test his loyalty, if he found out your identity we'd be fucked" Mello ordered firmly, although he could tell the mischief brewing in the redheaded girl's eyes. She'd never been very good at strictly sticking to his orders.

Audrey pulled the too-large plaid winter jacket tighter around herself. _Leather would be too suspicious, he said. Don't dress like such a shady mobster, he said. Well its damn warmer in my damn leather jacket! And why the hell does he think civilians only wear skirts or dresses?_ She grumbled in her thoughts, cursing the thin material of her black tights as she fumbled in her jacket pocket for her pack of cigarettes. Matt's thrift store jacket find nearly dwarfed the modest black pencil skirt that clothed to the top of her knees; leaving her tight-clad legs freezing in the December air. The silky deep-green dress shirt that clung to her torso did nothing to save her from the cold, thus why the blue jacket was buttoned up nearly all the way to her chin.

_Fuck this stupid boring asshole, too. I know I'm only supposed to be a stranger, but it would be so much easier, Aizawa, if you just turned around and confessed that your boss is Kira._ Audrey thought, lighting a cigarette as she glared at the back of the man on the sidewalk in front of her. It had nearly been a week since she'd been following the boring officer and she could practically recite his routine by heart. _There are things that could be a far better use of my damn time. Like thinking of ways to make Yagami cry when I get my hands on him. C'mon Aizawa, just turn around and-_

"Are you following me?"

Audrey jumped, stopping in her tracks with her eyes as wide as saucers as she stared at the man. "I-I… No… W-what would make you think that?" Audrey stuttered, cringing internally at her reply although she tried to keep her face genuinely surprised; as a normal pedestrian should be.

Aizawa chuckled, pointing to the bus stop sign. "It was just a joke. I noticed you at the coffee shop earlier, and that you've been riding the same bus line as me recently. Foreigners are just hard to miss"

"Oh," Audrey stated, suddenly remembering she was in Japan. "Could you really peg me for being English so easily? Your's is very good, by the way" Audrey commented, sitting on the bus bench before stubbing out her cigarette with her foot.

"I took a class in high school," Aizawa said, "And you Canadians just have a look about you"

Audrey toyed with the idea of correcting him before she simply decided the further away from the truth the better. "And what look would that be?" she questioned curiously.

"You know, warm. Welcoming" he said.

Audrey fought the snort she wanted to make at that, "I've never been described quite that way" she stated.

"It's not like you look like a criminal" Aizawa joked.

Audrey turned to look at him quickly. _Criminal… this could be a chance to… _"I should hope not, with Kira running around" Audrey commented as casually as she could. "I know it's dangerous to say, but I don't like the idea of him at all" her heart thundered in her chest as she waited for his response.

The man looked surprised, but not suspiciously so. "Neither do I. Not at all" he said finally.

"It's good to know that there are still some people in this city that think that" Audrey stared, finding that her accompanying smile was filled with real relief. _Aizawa probably wouldn't lie to a stranger, especially if he had the more popular opinion of supporting Kira. Mello's right, Aizawa probably went to the SPK already… and, if that's the case, at least someone's one step closer to catching Yagami. But… If Near has the proof, why doesn't he act?_

"Miss?" Aizawa said, and Audrey jolted out of her thoughts. "I've already told you people all I know. You don't have to tail me like this, I'm not keeping anything from you"

Audrey was honestly at a loss for words. _He thinks I'm with the SPK? _"I see" she muttered, standing up from the bench. "I thought I was a bit better at this, but I've never been one for subtlety" Audrey commented before turning on her heel and retreating quickly down the sidewalk, away from Aizawa.

By the time she makes it back to the shitty apartment, Audrey's already mulled over the ways to tell Mello a hundred times in her head. _It's unavoidable, I have to tell him I made contact with Aizawa; otherwise there would be no way he would believe that I found out Near's definitely gotten to Aizawa already. He's bound to throw a hissy fit over me not following orders again… _she thinks, turning her key in the lock, _But it can't be helped. This will drive Mello to act, then we can catch that bastard._

"You're early" Audrey jumps at the voice, surprised that Mello's greeting comes as soon as she opens the door.

She closes and locks the apartment door before dropping her keys on the nearby counter. "Ah, yeah…" Audrey trails off, unbuttoning her coat and walking towards the fridge to hunt for some food. She can barely hear the sound of creaking leather behind her, but it's enough to let her know that Mello is following her to the kitchenette.

Audrey feels a burning self-consciousness as she opens the fridge doors. "Well, why are you early? If Aizawa changed his routine it could be valuable information" Mello states from behind her.

"He, uh…" Audrey takes a deep breath, tries to re-assert herself but finds it hard with Mello's eyes glued to her. "He sort of caught me tailing him. But it's not bad. I convinced him that I'm some Canadian from the SPK. He said that he already told N everything and that I should stop tailing him because he didn't have anything else yet"

The silence feels deafening, and Audrey suddenly isn't hungry anymore so she shuts the fridge. Even the gentle closing sounds like a loud slap in the stillness of the room. "You're absolutely positive he thinks you were with Near?"

"Completely. This means that N has proof, but won't move forward, right? So," Audrey says, finally taking the courage to face him and finding out he was embarrassingly too close. She feels her assertiveness waver when they're eyes lock contact. "So… I…" Audrey swallows hard, her mouth is dry and she suddenly cant remember what she was saying.

A triumphant smirk overtakes Mello's face as if he's won a contest. "Yes? Do you have some idea for how we should proceed?" he asks with a smugness that makes Audrey narrow her eyes at him.

Her eyes linger too long over his lips, "I think we should take some sort of action" she states.

Mello takes another step towards her, and Audrey feels herself starting to loose her breath. "Hmm… action, huh?" he mutters, impeccably blue eyes boring into hers and hot breath cascading over her now gaping mouth.

She can't take it anymore and considers calling him an audacious ass, but decides that kissing him sounds much more appealing. As soon as she leans in and closes the gap between them, Mello is roughly reciprocating and advancing on her; forcing her backwards until her back is pressing painfully into the counter. He picks her up easily and sits her on the cracking tiled surface, hips settling between her legs so that their bodies can be as close together as possible.

He leaves her mouth to trail kisses down her jaw and aggressively attack the weakest point on her neck with kisses and light bites. "Mello…" she gasps, his name slipping from her lips before she even realized she was forming a coherent string of sounds.

"What was that?" he asks as he stops his ministrations, his satisfied smirk present in his gruff voice.

Audrey glares at him with her cheeks flushing, "Don't be such an ass" she manages to say it snarkily, although her voice is still breathy.

Mello's smirk doesn't waver, and if anything the trouble brewing in his eyes churns faster. "Now I'm certain that you didn't say _that_" he states before descending on her neck again and grabbing her breast, eliciting a moan from her at the get-go.

At that exact moment, the apartment door opens and Matt strolls through happily before stopping abruptly at the scene. It's silent as the two simply start at him; Mello looking as if he'd gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and Audrey blushing brightly enough to be a tomato. Matt opens his mouth, closes it, and opens it again before letting out a long stream of laughter instead of words. Audrey flushes darker now, a faint hint of red dusts Mello's cheeks as well as he releases his hold on her and marches over to the hysteric Matt.

"God dammit, Matt, shut the fuck up!" Mello fumes, both embarrassed and furious at being interrupted.

Audrey vaults herself off the counter and rolls her eyes at the two before walking over to the fridge to resume her food hunting. Ignoring Mello's threats and Matt's laughter, she scans the shelves. _Mustard, half a carton of rice, curry, beer, orange juice, chocolate…_ with an annoyed sigh she turned back to the boys. "Hey guys, why don't we go out to dinner tonight? Don't they have McDonald's here?" Audrey asked.

Matt was just coming off his bender. "Why? Are you two gunna have sex on that counter too?" he asks, setting off another bout of laughter within himself.

She gives him a hard thwack upside the head, which immediately stops his hysterics. "We were not having sex on the damn counter, you dumbass!" Audrey grumbled, glaring at the redhead now pouting and rubbing his head.

"If we were having sex I wouldn't have stopped" Mello stated flatly, making Matt snicker as Audrey's blush flared up again.

"Goddammit _I'm_ going to go get a burger; so fuck the both of you!" Audrey shouts, storming to the front door to start putting on her jacket.

"Fuck the both of us? Really?" Matt jokes, and Audrey doesn't even have to bother walking over to him because Mello's already slapped him upside the head. Together, the three of them gather their coats and trudge trough the door.

The air outside is colder because the sunset has disappeared, the streets are empty, and this side of town is a little unnerving in the darkness: but with the two men flanking either side of her, Audrey has never felt safer.

**Matt's such a cock block. And yes, I did slip in a Batman/Birds of Prey reference (Oracle) for no reason, and also some needless sexy times. Sorry this chapter is kinda boring and junk, but I wanted to keep it lighthearted because of the next one :/ ...Oh, but hey I created a serotonin playlist... sooo here you go... .com/view_play_list?p=FE2F22FA3758BFB2 (read the description as to what songs reference what) ****-Luv, Cart**


	16. Chapter 16

The next day Audrey woke up with a hand shaking her shoulder, which she quickly slapped away with a tired groan. "Fuck you, fucking guy, don't you try to-" her groggy rambling was cut short when a hand clamped over her mouth; a gesture that immediately made her snap her eyes open at a possible threat. Audrey was only slightly relived to see it the owner of the hands was Mello, looming over her with his typical annoyed expression.

He slowly pointed to his mouth, made a zipping gesture, and then pointed to the mattress in the corner where a sleeping lump of Matt could be seen.

_Okay…? He doesn't want to wake Matt up why exactly…?_ Audrey thought in confusion, but nodded a 'yes' to Mello to signify that she understood.

Mello removed his hand from her mouth and then pointed to the bathroom door.

This time, the only expression he received from Audrey was a raise of her eyebrows. _So, he woke me up to tell me he has to piss? I… am totally lost here… _She thought.

Her puzzlement had to be obvious enough on her face, because Mello simply sighed and lifted her up from the pull-out bed. His hand returned to cover her mouth as Audrey cursed at him, beating on his back with her fists in outrage at being tossed over his shoulder.

Once they made it into the bathroom, and Mello had tightly closed the door, he finally spoke. "I didn't want you to wake Matt" he explained, sitting her down on the bathroom counter.

Audrey rolled her eyes at him, "Well I gathered _that. _I just-what are we doing in here?" she questioned, glaring at him for rudely waking her up and then carrying her like a sack of potatoes into the cold bathroom.

Mello had been busying himself by turning on the shower, but at her words he turned towards her with a predatorial smirk. "We're finishing what we started yesterday" Mello said gruffly, making her blush in remembrance before he stepped closer to her and gave her a searing kiss.

The warm water pattered gently against their skin, hands explored, and a tattooed back pressed against the cold tile with a hiss of shock. Then finally, they each reached their peaks accompanied by the lukewarm water rushing around them; cleansing their bodies as the two of them tried to keep their moans quiet.

He turned the facet off and Audrey yanked back the curtain, hurrying to find the towels in the cabinet under the sink as she shivered from the cold air. "God, this place doesn't even have a decent heater," Audrey grumbled, wrapping a thin purple towel tightly around herself.

"It's not that bad, at least the water heater works fine," Mello commented, stepping out of the tub and immediately growling in annoyance as a pale blue towel pegged him in the face.

Audrey giggled, enjoying Mello's scowl as she rang out her long red hair before rubbing a towel over her head. "True, that was a pretty hot shower" she stated, giving Mello a wirily smile as she advanced on him and scrubbed his damp hair with the threadbare towel. His reflection in the mirror smirked back at her, his bright blue eyes twinkling with a feeling Audrey thought she would never see in a man. Or at least, never directed towards her.

Suddenly she was sobbing, and with a shock Audrey dropped the towel and covered her face with her hands. "Hey, what-Audrey, what happened?" she heard Mello sputter, but refused to look at him.

"What are we doing?" Audrey muttered aloud between her chocking sobs. The way they seemed so carefree together in the mirror, that look he was giving her; it gave her a glimpse of 'what if?' _What if I wasn't in the mafia? What if Mello…? What if we could live a normal life? Would things be better? Would we be a real couple? Married? Have children? We'd have our whole lives ahead of us… We're so young… _Audrey thought. "We're just kids. We're too young to die" she said, throat and eyes burning from her tears.

Mello's expression was pained as he looked at the sobbing woman, but his jaw was set with determination. _God dammit, their's no way, _he thought, unable to say anything and settling for wrapping his arms around her instead. _Their's just no way I can tell her the plan now. After what Matt saw, Misa and Takada, I still have to go through with the new plan. But this, if I tell Audrey… She's too unpredictable. Who knows what she'd do if she knew about the suicide mission._

Audrey calmed down considerably when his familiar arms enveloped her, and after a few minutes her face was dry again. "I'm sorry, dammit, I'm just being stupid again. I know we have to catch Kira…" she trailed off, finishing the thought only in her head; _but Near could do it just the same, we could walk away right now_. _Be normal._ "No, I need revenge" she said firmly aloud, more to her own thoughts than to Mello. "I need to see Kira suffer, like he's made me suffer. I knew what I was getting into when we started this-when you warned me on the plane-I know" She said, sniffling and wiping her eyes. "That was just a tiny second-guess, there. I'm sorry, just forget it" Audrey said, shoving herself out of Mello's arms and rushing out of the bathroom.

She'd nearly forgotten Matt was in the apartment with them, and thanked heaven that she was still wrapped in her towel when she spotted a sleep-mussed Matt eating cereal in front of his laptop. "Have a good morning?" Matt asked slyly in his knowing way, grinning before he looked up and spotted her expression. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked in concern.

"Fine," Audrey stated, making a beeline for her duffel bag and retrieving the clothes she would wear that day.

"…Okay…" she caught the flat disbelief in Matt's voice, but he thankfully didn't press the matter and instead changed the subject. "So, I was thinking we should do something for Christmas. It's coming up in a few days, you know" he said.

Audrey shrugged in response, angling her towel and body in such a way that Matt wouldn't be able to see her nakedness as she slipped on her underwear and bra. "Like presents or something? Because you know we don't have any money" she stated before dropping her towel, uncaring if Matt saw her in her under things.

"No, I was thinking we could like go to a shrine or something… Do Japanese people even have Christmas?" Matt wondered aloud before snickering. "Are those Hello Kitty knickers?"

Audrey immediately whipped around, glaring fiercely at the gamer. "Shut the hell up, Mario boxers!" she accused angrily, doing nothing to quell Matt's giggling.

"Japanese people do celebrate Christmas, idiot" Mello said, appearing from the bathroom. "And why the hell are you looking at her knickers in the first place?" he asked rhetorically, shooting Matt a threatening glare.

Matt rolled his eyes, his few snickers now dissipating. "So, what do they do for Christmas? Maybe we can visit the town tree lighting or something" Matt suggested.

"I could cook something" Audrey said, fully clothed and starting to make the bed in order to fold it up back into a couch.

Both of the boys stopped what they were doing, looking at her in surprise, "You can cook?" they both inquired in unison.

Audrey gave them an annoyed look. "Every woman should know how to cook. I learned from my mom before she-It was a long time ago, I'm probably a bit rusty… but we can afford ingredients, right?" she asked.

Mello was digging through his own duffel bag now. "That depends, what are you going to make?"

She folded the bed up before stopping thoughtfully. "I don't know. My mom always made roast ham, mashed potatoes, tamales… mmm, and empanadas…" Audrey trailed off, mouth watering at the thought.

"Tamales on Christmas? And what the hell is an empanada?" Matt asked, confused.

When Audrey caught sight of his clueless expression, she couldn't help but let out a giggle. "They're like bread pockets filled with sweet potatoes. So good." Audrey explained, placing the cushions on the couch before laying down across it. "Christmas back in Texas always has a little bit of Mexican flavor, even though my mom made gringo food" she said with a laugh.

"Gringo food? You're loosing me" Matt questioned.

"Gringo; it's a Spanish word… like… calling us 'Americans', 'whites', you know" Audrey tried to explain, but I looked like Matt still wasn't getting it.

"You should make us a Yule log" Mello said from the corner of the room, finally dressed.

Audrey raised a brow. "Yule log? Isn't that just a piece of wood you burn?"

Matt snickered at her, "No, he means the cake one. Its like a big cinnamon roll. We used to have it every Christmas growing up" Matt explained.

"Hmm," Audrey said. "Sometimes I forget you guys aren't from America. Weird"

"Your tamale-eating junk is weird" Matt accused. "What do you leave out for Santa, piñatas?"

Audrey rolled her eyes. "No, dumbass. Sugar cookies and bullets. And carrots for the reindeer, of course."

Both of them raised their brows at her. "_Bullets?_"

"You know, so Santa can stop the police from getting him in case they thought he was a burglar" Audrey said.

Matt let out a low whistle. "Shit, and I thought my childhood was fucked" he commented.

The air was freezing and filled with the idle chatter of foreign tongues that Audrey had yet to fully understand, so instead the language melded and sounded like a twittering of birds accompanying the crowd of people surrounding the large tree.

"Oh man, that Santa over there is handing out cocoa!" Matt exclaimed gleefully, pointing into another section of the crowd where a man in an obviously fake Santa suit stood.

Audrey rubbed her hands together before cupping them and blowing her hot breath into them. "That sounds so good right now" she commented, trying to keep her fingers from freezing as she shivered in her too-big plaid jacket.

"If you wore gloves like Matt and me this wouldn't be a problem" Mello grumbled, catching her hands and holding them in his own to warm them up.

She gave him an eye roll, her face already red from the cold night air. "I'm doing just fine" she stated, before turning her head as Matt started taking off into the crowd. "Matty, get me one too!" Audrey called after him.

Mello tugged her closer to him, "don't be so stubborn" he muttered as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

His added warmth was welcome and Audrey burrowed closer, smiling as his hand gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I happen to think being stubborn is a very redeeming quality" Audrey said, chuckling as she remembered a previous conversation between the two of them that had gone right along these lines.

Matt returned grinning like a kid, "It was even free cocoa! Man, I love Christmas" he said happily, handing both Audrey and Mello Styrofoam cups. "Oh, and they had these too" Matt said, brandishing two candy canes with one hanging out of his mouth.

Audrey smiled, "Great timing, it's almost 7, they should start the lighting soon" she said, taking one of the candy canes and unwrapping it before stirring her cocoa with it.

"You'll ruin the chocolate flavor that way" Mello stated, eyeing her actions with distaste and refusing Matt's candy cane.

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'enhance', Mello" Audrey stated, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever you want to call it, it's shameful" Mello said, pulling a chocolate bar out of his pocket before taking a large sip of his cocoa.

"Your attitude is shameful" Audrey said haughtily.

Mello snorted at her. "The pot calling the kettle black"

"Guys, shut it" Matt said, pointing to the tree and grinning.

The first string of multi-colored lights on the bottom row was lighting up, throwing a rainbow of colors across the trio's faces. Within seconds, the lighted colors had spread all the way up the tree and ended at a shining gold star at the top.

Matt threw his hands up with a grin, "And a merry Christmas to all!" he shouted, several of the crowd goers looking over their shoulders in confusion.

A slap was quickly administered to the back of his head, "Stop calling attention to us, twit" Mello ordered gruffly.

The gamer rubbed his head spitefully, "Ooh, it's starting to look a lot like Christmas~!" Matt wailed, skipping out of Mello's reach. "Everywhere I ammmm~!"

"Those aren't even the right words" Mello grumbled in return, letting go of Audrey to lunge towards the grinning idiot.

Audrey caught the fluffy hood of Mello's coat just barely with one hand, letting out a cry of surprise that made both of the boys stop. "It's snowing" Audrey said quietly, a smile overtaking her face slowly.

The barely 4 inches of powder seriously disrupted Tokyo's public transport system, so the three of them walked home to the apartment huddled together in the cold. Everything was fine until Matt started singing again and Mello pegged him with a snowball; which in turn Matt fired one of his own off and accidentally hit Audrey in the face. This started an all out war that had the trio laughing and screaming and sprinting back to the apartment.

"Truce! Truce!" Audrey hollered, ducking and tripping into the apartment as a snowball arched through the doorway and hit the opposite wall.

Mello trudged in after her, nearly tripping over her before unzipping his jacket; clumps of snow falling out from the inside which sent Audrey into hysterics. "God dammit!" he cursed loudly as another snowball hurtled through the door and hit him straight in the chest.

"How the hell is it that we shoot the guns, but Matt has the perfect aim?" Audrey asked though giggles, clutching her sides as she laid sprawled out on the floor.

Matt rushed through the door, cradling five snowballs. "Because you don't play shooter games all day" Matt answered, mashing a snowball into Mello's hair.

"Fuck!" the blonde cursed before angrily tackling Matt; sending them smashing into Audrey and snow scattering everywhere.

Even though Matt had painfully elbowed her in the ribs, Audrey couldn't stop laughing. "This is the stupidest shit ever!" she exclaimed. "You guys are fucking idiots!" she said, smacking Matt over the head for good measure to make the two of them stop wrestling.

"But we're loveable idiots, right?" Matt asked with a lopsided grin.

Audrey snorted at him before jabbing him in the side. "Get your fat asses off me and maybe you'll have a better chance" she said. "Anyway, I have to get started on the food"

As soon as food was mentioned, Matt leapt up and helped Audrey up eagerly. "How long will it take?" Matt questioned curiously as Mello stood and shut the apartment door.

"Well, the potatoes are instant, the tamales and empanadas are frozen… I just have to cook the ham, so" Audrey said, retrieving the food from the fridge and turning on the oven.

Matt pouted, "but I'm hungry now…" he whined, looming over her shoulder.

"It'll be ready when it's ready" Audrey stated, making Matt sigh deeply before crossing the room and stretching out on the couch.

Since the distraction was gone, Audrey turned her focus to preparing the food. That is, until arms encircled her waist and nearly caused her to drop the ham glaze. "You should get out of those wet clothes, you could get a cold" Mello stated, she could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"You're the one that got completely pegged with snow, not me" Audrey said with a smile, trying and failing to wiggle out of his grasp.

"Guys, look what's on!" Matt exclaimed from the couch, and the two of them turned to view the TV set; a mixing bowl still in Audrey's hands. "The Grinch who stole Christmas!"

Audrey laughed as she walked closer, "It's in Japanese, I can't understand a word"

"Every who down in whoville liked Christmas a lot," Mello translated, "but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did not" She tried to hold in her laughter as she gazed at the blonde, who recited the words with a serious straight face.

The loud beep of a timer made them all jump. "That's the tamales!" Audrey exclaimed, rushing back into the kitchen as Mello shoved Matt's feet off the couch and took a seat. For the first time in years for the blonde, it felt like Christmas.

**A/N: okay, I lied last chapter; this is obviously not the gloomy chapter. I couldn't resist sneaking in a bit of a Christmas special, so I pushed that chapter back. Plus I just don't want to write what I know will be the last chapter :/ It's coming, though, and soon this story will be finished… but, look on the bright side, I sketched a bit of Audrey/Mello which you can view by clicking the "homepage" link on my profile. ****Anyway, happy holidays everybody! -Luv, Cart**


	17. Chapter 17

Audrey unlocked the door before kicking it open, since her hands were full of groceries. She was about to sarcastically snap that, no of course she didn't need any help, but a voice cut her off as she opened her mouth.

"Why are you back so quick?" Mello asked, and she rolled her eyes at the question.

"I'm glad you're happy to see me," She said, not even bothering to look at him and instead making a beeline for the counter to drop the heavy items. Audrey made sure to place the frozen dinners in the freezer before she turned, "they only had-" one look at the two of them made her stop.

The TV was on the news, Mello was in his motorcycle jacket, and Matt's computers were humming with documents and life-but that wasn't why she'd stopped, no, those things were somewhat normal. Matt was holding a gun. _Matt _was holding _a gun._

"…What's going on?" Audrey questioned quietly, something settling over her bones with unease. _Carefree, joking Matt should have a DS wedged between his fingers, _she thought, eyes flickering to Mello as her stomach turned with a horrible feeling.

Matt was nearly glaring at Mello. "You didn't tell her?" he asked, scowling.

_Matt never scowls,_ Audrey's thoughts shot out with a rising panic, _something isn't right._

"She wasn't supposed to be back this early" Mello said, and Matt's mouth gaped in disbelief.

"You were just going to let us sneak off while she was gone?" Matt asked incredulously, anger rising in his voice. "She doesn't even know, and you were just going to-you fucking sack of shit!" Matt exclaimed, his uncharacteristic reaction only furthering the panicked feeling rising in Audrey's throat.

Mello rounded on him with a glare, "Shut the fuck up, you know nothing about-"

"I know nothing about what? What she's done so far for you? After everything the two of you have been through, this is what you do?" Matt said, "Jesus Christ, Mello, what did you think? That this would make it easier for her?"

Matt's question goes unanswered as Mello's face turns severe, "Go get in your car" Mello orders with that expression, the one that used to make mafia men freeze in fear.

"Fuck you!" Matt exclaims, shoving him hard in the shoulder to get Mello to back off.

"Go get in your FUCKING CAR and then GET IN POSITON" Mello ordered more firmly, shoving Matt back fiercely.

Matt stumbles, the shove nearly sending him to the floor, before he rights his balance and stares at Mello. The redheaded boy doesn't speak a word, but turns tail and slinks through the door; unable to give Audrey even a glance as he makes his way out.

The silence constricts her nervous unease, until it's just a painful deadweight settling in her gut. "Where are you going?" Audrey finally asks, sputtering out one question from the many floundering in her head.

"Matt and I have to do something. It will get N closer to Kira" Mello stated evenly, the familiar emotionless expression shrouding his face like a wall to keep her out.

His wording sends an unfriendly shiver of foreboding down her spine. "You hate N" she chokes out the obvious before she can think.

She watches his fists clench, that placid expression still on his face. "I know," Mello says, "But this is the only way"

"How dangerous?" she asks, the questions suddenly flooding out from her. "Why didn't you tell me? Why does Matt need a gun? Why am I not going? When are you coming back? Are you going to-" Audrey stops as her voice breaks and tears start streaming down her face.

Mello's face falters only briefly before settling back into it's hard expression. "Mihael" he says quietly.

"What?" Audrey drags her hand across her face, wiping away the hot shameful tears as her frustration grows.

"My real name" Mello says, "It's Mihael Keehl"

She can nearly feel her heart stop, _If he's telling me this, it means that… It means…_ Audrey doesn't dare finish the thought. "Cassandra" she returns.

"Cassandra" he repeats, rolling it over his tongue. "It suits you"

"Don't go" she pleads quietly.

"Don't go?" Mello repeated, eyeing her as if she wasn't speaking English. Audrey could feel her heart fall and her hope drop. "And if I don't? If I stay?" his face was suddenly pitying, looking apologetic even. "Do you really think people like us can live happily ever after?"

She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes again. "Then at least let me help you!" Audrey exclaimed.

"No, its too dangerous" Mello said firmly.

"Too dangerous?" she repeated, throwing up her hands. "Why the hell are you doing it then?"

He stepped closer to her despite her growing anger and frustration. "You know why" Mello stated.

She punched him, but he only winced and kept moving closer to her. "You bastard!" Audrey shouted, the tears flowing freely of their own will. "You fucking bastard! I can't believe you!" she screamed, trying to hit him blindly through her watery eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and forced her close. He held her, and she couldn't fight anymore. The frustrated angry tears turned to sobs and the blows turned to a desperate cling on his jacket. "I can't believe you're leaving me alone" Audrey blubbered, burying her face in his jacket and breathing in his familiar scent.

Mello didn't say anything, and really, what could he say? He simply held her until she stopped crying, and then gave her a kiss on the forehead before untangling himself and heading towards the door.

"No, don't-" Audrey said, racing to him and holding his wrist tightly to keep him from going. He turned back to her, fingers already working on loosening her grip before she caught his other hand in hers. "I mean, what kind of goodbye kiss is that?" she asked, trying to make light of it, only her voice chocked on the 'goodbye'.

His lips were on hers in an instant, if anything to keep her from tearing up again. The same breathlessness overtook her that occurred in their first kiss, only there was this sick underlying hopelessness and bitterness like an apology. It was over far too soon. Mello had used it as a distraction, wrenched her fingers from their tight hold on his jacket before he broke the kiss and strode out the door.

She didn't know where he was going, didn't even know his plan. Audrey felt powerless to stop him and it sent pain coursing through her. He was the last person that she had left; she'd barely managed to sew herself back together after the mafia was killed. If Mello was killed…

Audrey scrambled to the TV, eying the news immediately and blindly shuffling to the couch. It was coverage of Takada, and Audrey's eyes were glued to the screen. "In fifteen minutes, the world wi-"

"Fuck!" Audrey shouts, interrupting the news. She stands up and flips the coffee table over violently, uncaring about the shattered glass and scattering papers it causes. It doesn't make her feel any better. "I can't do this! I can't just sit here!" she yells angrily to the empty room before running to her duffel and retrieving a leather jacket. Her leather jacket. The mafia's leather jacket. Because she was pretty sure she was going to die if she did this, and if she was going to die, she was going to die as she was born. In the sweet embrace of a dark family bond.

Audrey leaves the door to the apartment open, she could care less about anyone stealing the worthless shit in there, and races down the stairs only minutes after Mello. She reaches the parking lot out of breath and her lungs burn when she forces herself to continue running towards Mello's motorcycle. He's just slipped on his helmet. He isn't even on the bike yet.

"Don't-" She starts, but she cant breathe so she has to gulp air for a few moments. He waits. "You can't… you can't get rid of me that easily" Audrey states, still huffing and puffing.

She can't tell what expression is on his face because of the black helmet, but he hops on the motorcycle and starts it up without saying a word. She reaches out to catch him, but his hand on the throttle is to quick.

"You stupid fuck!" Audrey howls after him as he speeds out of the parking lot. Hot tears are stinging her face again, but she wastes no time with them as her eyes land on a helmet. She marches over to the classic Yellow Yamaha '78 motorcycle a few spaces over and rips open the panel, scowling as she recalls only remnants of the mafia's hotwire teachings. She somehow manages to start it and smashes the red helmet on her head, but by the time she's out of the parking lot, his bike is turning the corner and she accelerates at a frightening rate to catch up with him. Weaving in and out of cars and lanes alarmingly, Audrey finally makes it beside him on the next block. Mello turns sharply down a side street and runs a red light, but doesn't manage to shake her in the effort.

Audrey knows it's stupid to follow him into this, even stupider to do it not knowing exactly what 'this' was, but the wind rushing around her and the motorcycle is far more comforting than waiting on the couch with some sort of false hope would have been.

There is shouting and commotion on the streets, and it only gets louder as her and Mello round a corner. It's full blown chaos; clumps of fans running and screaming from the most of the thick bellowing smoke, some even being abused by Tanaka's bodyguards as false culprits. In the middle of it all is Takada, looking panicked as Mello's bike roars up to her. Audrey keeps her bike at a distance, not wanting to draw more attention to possible discredit Mello's plan. Assumingly, it works and Takada reluctantly hops on the back of Mello's bike.

He roars out of the smoke, Audrey begins to follow his same path, but there are people grabbing at her. Takada's bodyguards are shouting at her, demanding where the strange man on the motorcycle is taking her, as they pull at her and the bike. Audrey yanks the throttle, the high speed tosses most of them out of grip but theirs one that she actually has to kick off. She takes a sharp turn in the same course as Mello, but her bike is still unbalanced from the interference and she wobbles dangerously before taking another sharp turn to follow; thankfully it corrects her balance.

They're merging on the highway and already there are bodyguards on their tail; Mello only speeds up to weave around the traffic. He slips into spaces the bodyguard's large cars could never weave through and Audrey fights to keep up, the breakneck speed making her terrified and sparking with life at the same time.

"Pull over! Give us Takada!" A black car behind her shouts, Mello looks back at her but she keeps her focus straight ahead and maneuvers around a large van.

She's beside Mello again and Audrey lets herself grin at him although he can't see it through her helmet. She's never felt so alive, and for a minute she thinks the guards have hopelessly lost track of them. For a minute she thinks it will turn out alright.

Then there is the sickening sound of high speed scraping metal.

A black guard car is grinding into the guardrail dangerously, taking full advantage of the emergency lane and barely keeping pace with the two motorcycles. The man driving lifts a gun out the open window, eyes flickering back and forth from the road to the gun's aim.

Audrey's heart skips dangerously, and she purposefully speeds up to cover Mello as a human shield before the passenger shouts a warning at the driver. "Are you stupid? You could hit Takada!" the man shouts, voice almost lost in the rushing wind around them.

Mello accelerates in front of Audrey as the metal on metal starts to burn and spark, but that ceases when the driver makes his last-ditch effort. The black car sharply turns, tapping her broadside on the bike. Audrey lets out a shriek of pain when her leg is sandwiched between the bike and car; it's only for a second that the large weight of the car is there, but the metal pulls back from her bloody.

Her bike is dangerously off balance, she struggles to keep it upright as she tries to push down the pain shooting through her. At 150 MPH, if the bike toppled over now, road rash would be the least of her worries.

His black helmet shoots back to look at her from her cry of anguish, and Mello swerves with indecision when he catches sight of her distress. As much as he wants too, he knows their's no way to help her even if he turns back now.

Audrey can't keep the bike from roaring into the next lane. This time, she pulls her leg from the path of destruction just in time, but her bike crashes heavily against the Saturn's passenger side door before tumbling across three lanes and crashing to a stop. Traffic was a chorus of screeching tires and horns as Audrey's bike disturbance did it's damage. But she hardly had time to look and see if any bodyguard cars had gotten caught in the fray as her nails clutched and scraped over the Saturn's hood.

If it were a higher car, like a truck, Audrey wouldn't have been able to grasp the Saturn's hood and keep herself from being run over. However, the Saturn was now swerving dangerously of its own accord as screams broke out from the car's interior. Audrey clutched the hood as hard as she could manage, but still slid off with a violent whiplash as the car sailed back into traffic.

She tumbled on the gravel and broken glass at the edge of the road, cutting painfully into her body as she rolled. Audrey's ribs cracked upon impact, and a sickening snap in her back followed. She came to a stop in the grassy median of the highway, blood all around her but unable to move to check her injuries.

The air was filled with the scrapes and crashes of metal as Audrey strained her ears desperately. She could barely pick out the retreating motorcycle engine over the noise, but it was comforting enough that she let her eyes close; the adrenaline coursing through her veins finally coming to a stop.

"_I will follow my master, even to death." _It was a strange time to think of her and Near's conversation, but it somehow felt fitting. _Not for Kira, but because of love. Mihael Keehl, wherever you are, I love you._ And with that last thought, everything went dark for Audrey.

**This is NOT the last chapter. There is still an epilogue! Who lives, who dies… Gee, guess you'll have to wait to find out! -Luv, Cart**


	18. Chapter 18

The woman navigated her wheelchair through the hall towards the science wing with ferocity, but halted at the ringtone coming from the pocket on the side of her metal chair.

She knew who it was judging by the simple chime, "Speak" she says gruffly into the phone as a force of habit more than an expression of anger.

"Good morning. I thought it would be prudent to check in and see how things are going." The voice says monotonically.

She rolls her eyes although she knows he can't see it. "Oh, its just fine dealing with the little hellions. J has hacked into the FBI mainframe again and S just exploded half the science lab" She stated exasperatedly.

"I trust you will deal with them accordingly?"

"We had a method back in-"

"I don't think a mafia torture method is good for the children," the voice was tinted with amusement.

Audrey sighed, running a hand through her messy red bun. The 25-year-old woman currently felt more like twice her age. The bright and scheming minds of Whammy's were going to drive her into an early grave.

"Yes, boss" she stated into the phone.

"Roger says hello, by the way" Near said, and then the phone line clicked and gave her a dial tone.

She shook her head. "Prissy little idiot can't even say goodbye" Audrey growled to no one in particular.

Her hand unconsciously flew to the rosary hanging around her neck and she smiled slightly at the thought of a blonde man, with a chocolate bar and a penchant for leather, cursing out Near. After being appointed to her job, the action of cursing out the detective was becoming more and more appealing each day. But, even she had to admit that her new life fit. A washed up mafia boss, or an ex-military figure with the mind of a supercomputer, were more suitable replacements to take care of the Whammy kids than some ordinary matron.

Audrey jumped, dropping the cross, as a loud crash sounded from the front lawn. "F! I swear to god, if that's your plane in the koi pond again I'm going to bash your kneecaps in!"

**Well, this is it. The end. I admit I'm a bit choked up here. Thank you all sincerely for your lovely reviews and favs, it makes me so so so happy that you've all enjoyed the ride. I hope you think about reading some of my other stories in the future, but for now it's goodbye. -Luv, Cart**


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